A new blood test developed for the Tour de France will be used to screen Beijing blood samples for the the presence of the new generation of EPO known as CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator), the International Olympic Committee announced today.
According to Velonews:
"The IOC's announcement comes 48 hours after reanalyzed samples from
the Tour de France using the latest technology unearthed two drug
cheats - Germany's Stefan Schumacher, winner of both time trials in
this year's race, and Italian Leonardo Piepoli, who won the 10th stage
of the Tour.
Spokesman Emmanuelle Moreau told AFP that the re-testing is consistent with IOC policy.
"This is part of our normal procedure," he said. "We keep the
samples for eight years and whenever a new test arrives we carry out
new tests."
The CERA form of EPO was detected for the first time at this year's
Tour in the sample of Italian cyclist Riccardo Riccò with a full test
developed to combat it by the French laboratory at Châtenay-Malabry.
Riccò was caught based on the results of urine test. But the lab
also has a set of blood parameters, which indicate the use of CERA."
According to Velonews:
"The IOC's announcement comes 48 hours after reanalyzed samples from the Tour de France using the latest technology unearthed two drug cheats - Germany's Stefan Schumacher, winner of both time trials in this year's race, and Italian Leonardo Piepoli, who won the 10th stage of the Tour.
Spokesman Emmanuelle Moreau told AFP that the re-testing is consistent with IOC policy.
"This is part of our normal procedure," he said. "We keep the samples for eight years and whenever a new test arrives we carry out new tests."
The CERA form of EPO was detected for the first time at this year's Tour in the sample of Italian cyclist Riccardo Riccò with a full test developed to combat it by the French laboratory at Châtenay-Malabry.
Riccò was caught based on the results of urine test. But the lab also has a set of blood parameters, which indicate the use of CERA."