THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 20

by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation

The Tour de France once again finished peddling: peddling through several weeks of impossible bicycle racing, as well several weeks of questionable public relations spew. The Associated Press trumpets drug-cheating problems (Sastre wins doping-scarred Tour de France), meanwhile Tour director Christian Prudhomme announces victory over dopers (Race director hails 2008 Tour de France as victory over doping cheats). Only a dope would buy those headlines completely. Does anyone recall, one day later, that Spain's Carlos Sastre won a very existential race amid the various -- but limited -- doping scandals?

The underlying technological development at the heart of 2008's Tour doping involved a new form of EPO, called a CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator). EPO (or erythropoetin) is a naturally produced hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells (RBCs). In medicine this hormone/drug may be used for patients with anemia due to AIDS, or cancer, or kidney failure (EPO is natrually synthesized in the kidneys) increasing the RBCs in a person who is not producing adequate red blood cells due to the disease state. In 'blood doping' the increased number of RBCs enhances the blood oxygen carrying capacity in an athlete, thus giving the blood doper an advantage in receiving more oxygen to stressed tissues. Track and cycling athletes for years have been appropriating illicit EPO to cheat in races (ala Marion Jones).

Roche Labs manufactured a new type of EPO called CERA, which is not ejected from the body by kidney elimination as quickly as the older variant of EPO. Apparently a few cyclists in the Tour thought that dope testers would not pick up the latest drug development. Wrong. Although initial reports indicated the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) teamed with Roche to produce a stealth molecule allowing discovery of the new EPO, that was a mistaken piece of news; Apparently WADA knew about the new CERA version of EPO, and thus was ready to test for the larger molecule.

Tour officials also modified the concept of a 'biological passport' -- a health parameter database on athletes that gives a fingerprint of their physiology over time. The Tour tested for irregularities in certain blood measures to tip them off to drug-cheaters. This procedure allegedly tipped off doping control to several Tour dopers.

The biggest name caught doping at the Tour was Riccardo Ricco the rising Italian cycling star. Ricco tested positive for the new EPO; word was that Ricco ran from the testers in a desperate attempt to avoid taint. Also caught on Youtube fleeing from testing control was Spaniard Carlos Beltran, who rode for Liquigas, the Cannondale bike squad. Moises Duenas Nevado, from Spain, who rode for Barloworld ( a large Euro corporation), dropped an EPO tainted urine. Leonardo Piepoli, -- also on the Saunier Duval-Scott team with Ricco -- didn't test positive however something in his possession motivated the cyclist to be escorted out of the race, and we suspect it wasn't something good. Finally, on the last day Kazakhstan's Dmitri Fofonov fluffed-up, testing positive for a European stimulant. Borat not be proud.

After Ricco's and Piepoli left the Tour in disgrace Ricco's team, Saunier-Duval, packed up the doping bags and left the race possibly never to return. To add to the fun and games Ricco, Beltran and the others spent time in a French lockup, as doping is a criminal offense in the European country. Five, 5 cyclists, busted for doping...Yahtzee!

Tour teams continued to be suspect of doping. Luiqigas signed doper Ivan Basso on, which tainted the team's credibility from the start. Eventual winning team CSC is headed by Bjarne Riis -- winner of the 1996 Tour, and esteemed chronic doper...birds of a feather. Would the Boston Red Sox hire Barry Bonds to manage their team?

The Tour de France is now a troubled doping event, reflecting a troubled professional sport. Huge doping scandals plague the Tour de France: Festina in 1998, Operation Puerto in 2006. Floyd Landis in 2006-2008. The Tour leader sacked in 2007 (see Tour dopers on trial). Where is George Mitchell when cycling needs him? Who can clean up this tainted corrupt sport? Even the physicians involved with cyclists -- like Dr. Jesus Losa -- appear to be tainted. Overall, the 2008 Tour appeared to dial down the doping; now, where does this event cycle to in the future?