'Lance's US team used EPO'

2005-10-06 15:21

Paris - A former doctor with Lance Armstrong's cycling team has reaffirmed claims that the American outfit used EPO (erythropoietin) to win their first Tour de France in 1999.

Prentice Steffen, a 44-year-old sports medicine specialist, claims he was sacked by US Postal in 1996 when he refused to administer doping products to certain riders.

And despite claims he has received threatening phone calls from Armstrong, who in recent weeks has been forced to deny reports that he used EPO in 1999, warning him not to speak out, Steffen is determined to do so.

Steffen claims that today's top riders are now using almost fail-proof methods of doping in the world's biggest bike race.

"There are some riders from certain teams on the Tour de France riding with a haematocrit (red blood cell) level of between 55 and 60," he said in an interview with L'Equipe newspaper.

Elevated blood levels, gained by using EPO or blood doping methods, give an advantage because oxygen-rich blood cells allow the muscles to work for longer, and to recuperate better after extreme effort.

"I've been told by a well-informed source from one of the teams about the methods.

"It's so easy to do that there's almost no chance of getting caught."

Fears for the sport he loves

Steffen, who has been involved in cycling for 26 years, currently works with a Europe-based American amateur cycling team and has spoken out because he fears for the sport he loves.

If Armstrong or his former teammate Tyler Hamilton - who is currently awaiting a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on his ban for doping - escape punishment Steffen said he will end all his links with the sport.

"I've made a promise to myself and my wife. If Hamilton is let off and nothing happens (sanctions) to Armstrong then I will quit cycling for good. For me, it's the end of all hope.

"For the moment I'm optimistic, but I believe every method possible should be used to catch cheats, including keeping samples for retroactive testing."

He added: "The amateurs I work with know fine well what goes on in the professional ranks. To compete with the best you have to dope. I don't think for a minute they have any doubts about that.

Good and bad guys dope

"You don't know how a (young) rider is going to evolve (into possible doping). If you had asked me 10 or 11 years ago about Tyler Hamilton I would have said, 'no way, he's too honest, he's been brought up well and he works hard'.

"But it doesn't work like that. The bad guys, like Armstrong, dope and the good guys, like Hamilton, dope too.

"There's always a moment of wavering, as if, all of a sudden, they have no choice."

Steffen has already come under fire from Armstrong for speaking out, in 2001, to English newspaper The Sunday Times about doping within US Postal, the team with whom Armstrong won six Tour de France yellow jerseys.

The American doctor, however, said he has little fear of those threats - especially as he has plenty of experience in facing down top cyclists.

He said Hamilton, formerly with US Postal, was one of two riders, the other being Marty Jemison, who asked him for EPO when they were on the 1996 Tour of Switzerland and struggling to keep up with the pace of the race.

Steffen refused, reported the matter to team bosses and at the end of that year his contract with US Postal was not renewed.

Subsequently, he received a registered letter from US Postal ordering him not to talk about what went on inside the team.

- SAPA