More Dope

Leonardo Piepoli and Stefan Schumacher have tested positive for CERA. If you followed the Tour de France, Piepoli was sacked by his team and kicked out of the Tour thanks to Riccardo Ricco’s positive test during the Tour. Piepoli quickly admitted to doping, then denied in front of the Italian Olympic Committee. Schumacher won both individual time trials during the Tour, and wore the yellow jersey. He’s been caught up in doping issues before, and he is proclaiming his innocence. As a side note, it’s too bad QuickStep forced out Paolo Bettini (who decided to retire) to make room for Schumacher. Anybody think Bettini might get a call that might make him re-evaluate his future?

More good news: Frank Schleck has been tied, at least financially, to dope doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. He is taking a page from the Ivan Basso legal play book by admitting, yes, he sent money, but no, he didn’t actually dope.

And, saving the best for last, Alexander Vinokourov has said he intends to come back (having served his one year suspension), and, wait for it, race for Astana (Vino, remember, started the team when Liberty Seguros folded). He still must tangle with the UCI, who suspended their proceedings against Vino when he retired. Pat McQuaid has already indicated the UCI would bring their case to the CAS and forced the Kazakh rider to serve another year. I suspect Johan Bruyneel isn’t sleeping well at the moment, given that he already he has a power struggle on his hands thanks to Lance Armstrong’s comeback. Should Vino avoid another year’s suspension, it’s hard to imagine the Kazakh rider being denied a spot on the team, given that the team is funded, in part, by Kazakhstan. This move would likely get Astana excluded from each of the Grand Tours and an events controlled by the ASO (who run the Tour de France).

And…the IOC has called out the UCI as a failure in the fight against doping. I am sympathetic to the UCI in this case, as track and field and weightlifting remain in the Games despite a long, well-documented history of systematic doping.