Astana Doping Circa 2009 Tour de France?

Lance Armstrong did what they said could not be done, he confessed to using recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO), corticosteroids, testosterone, autologous blood transfusions, human growth hormones, and every other substance on the WADA prohibited list that Oprah Winfrey forgot to include on her comprehensive question list.  Armstrong stated his doping history included all seven of his Tour de France titles: thus justifying a lifetime ban.  Of course, the media has had an endless discussion about the lack of contrition on the part of Lance Armstrong during his mea culpa, his arrogance, his theory of cheating: where he defined doping as nothing more than a method to level the playing field.

But there are possible future nightmare scenarios that may evolve from this confession.  David Howman of WADA insists that Lance Armstrong be deposed under oath with full disclosure: even if these admissions reveal possible falsification of test results by WADA, in exchange for cash.  In the New York Times article,  Banker Says He Was Unaware of Doping, Susanne Craig reports:

In the wake of the anti-doping report, Mr. Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles. On one Tour, in 1999, the team masseuse, Emma O’Reilly, has said, according to published reports, that she witnessed Mr. Weisel huddling with Mr. Armstrong after a report that the cyclist had tested positive for a banned substance.  Mr. Weisel was frantic about what to do, she said.  Mr. Weisel said he did not have “any recollection” of the incident to which Ms. O’Reilly was referring.

The implication of all this not expressly stated is that Tom Weisel may have bribed WADA, LNDD, the UCI, or others to suppress the positive dope test.  Lance Armstrong could provide the testimony under oath that could be devastating to the very people and agencies who claim responsibility for ensuring clean sport.  And some of these accusations could also spawn criminal complaints and prosecutions, not to mention the bad publicity that would "incinerate" the sport.  

To those that thought that Velo Vortmax was nothing more than an apologist for Lance Armstrong, blindly supporting the disgraced cyclist, think again! My concerns were centered around a lack of concrete proof derived by solid scientific evidence: positive tests measured in a WADA accredited laboratory.  Non-negative analytical positive bans based on the testimony of ex-teammates or upon data derived by the UCI Biological Passport are unacceptable substitutes for standardized tests because there are opportunities for athletes to dope by micro-dosing drugs not detectable through conventional methods; thereby ensuring artificial baseline scores that serve as passports to dope. Then there are liars with agendas.  But Lance Amstrong stated in his interview that he did not dope during the 2009 and 2010 Tours de France.  Lance Armstrong claimed he stopped doping in 2004, although the USADA claims to have "overwhelming evidence" based upon longitudinal data supplied by the UCI Biological Passport, which proves Lance Armstrong had irregular blood values indicating the use of the blood-booster rEPO.  There are three possibilities for these contradictory statements.  (1) Lance Armstrong is lying, (2) USADA is dreaming, or (3) unknown intervening variables that were not accounted for explained the causation.

Nevertheless, the statement by Lance Armstrong that he did not dope in 2009 or 2010 is disappointing because the greatest service that Lance Armstrong could do for cycling would be to expose doping during the 2009 Tour de France when he and Alberto Contador rode for Astana.  After all, accused doping doctor Pepe Marti who has been charged by USADA for numerous doping violations was present on the 2010 Astana team. Alberto Contador tested positive for clenbuterol, during the 2009 Tour de France,  a race  Alberto Contador won, and a race where Lance Armstrong finished on the podium in third place!  Red flags appear everywhere, and there is Lance Armstrong denying everything!  Of course, the situation does not appear to be hopeless: Pepe Marti has asked for an arbitration hearing and there is still hope for a possible resolution of these issues: (1) USADA and Pepe Marti could bargain, a reduced ban in exchange for evidence proving Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador doped during the 2009 Tour de France or (2) Johan Bruyneel could be offered a reduced sentence for providing incriminating evidence to USADA, or (3) USADA could offer an unconditional amnesty to any Astana ex-teammate who would come forward.  Lance Armstrong, Pepe Marti, Johan Bruyneel, and Alberto Contador should all come forward in contrite submission, armed with confessions, in order to establish a new standard to end the culture of omerta, once and for all.

There is almost a hundred percent certainty that if Lance Armstrong was taking performance-enhancing drugs in 2009 that Alberto Contador also used performance-enhancing drugs in 2009.  , Because, as Greg LeMond found out in 1991, a clean rider can't beat a doped one, even if it is physiologically impossible for a rider to win three consecutive Tours de France without dope.  How Miguel Indurain won five Tours de France in a row without dope is the eighth wonder of the world.  But, this is not a story of Greg LeMond and Miguel Indurain,  is this the story of Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador.  We can only hope that if doping existed during the 2009 Tour de France that Lance Armstrong has enough arrogance left to sink Alberto Contador like the R.M.S. Titanic.