The African Telatelist
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The African Telatelist Newsletter 191 of the African Telately Association – May 2014 ___________________________________________________________________________ The 1997 and 1998 Tour de France The 1997 Tour de France was the 84th Tour de Festina team. Initially the doping suspicion only France and took place between 5 July and 27 surrounded the two teams Festina and TVM, but July 1997. Jan Ullrich's victory margin, of 9' 09" later investigations and retrospective tests was the largest margin of victory since Laurent revealed the doping abuse was far more Fignon won the 1984 Tour de France by 10' 32". widespread. Therefore this edition of the Tour Ullrich's simultaneous victories in both the also became nicknamed by many media General Classification category and the young sources, as the "Tour du Dopage" (Tour of riders category marked the first time the same Doping). rider had won both categories in the same Tour In 2004, 60 remaining antidoping samples given since Laurent Fignon in 1983. Despite the by riders during the 1998 Tour, were tested doping case against Ullrich, he has not been retrospectively for recombinant EPO by using officially removed from the results yet. three recently developed detection methods. The results of these tests were published to have Results returned 44 positives and 9 negatives, with the There were several classifications in the 1997 remaining 7 samples not returning any result due Tour de France. The most important was the to sample degradation. At first, the rider names general classification, calculated by adding each with a positive sample were not made public, as cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The it had only been conducted as scientific cyclist with the least accumulated time was the research. race leader, identified by the yellow jersey; the In July 2013, the antidoping committee of the winner of this classification is considered the French Senate however decided it would benefit winner of the Tour. the current doping fight to shed full light on the Additionally, there was a points classification, past, and so decided - as part of their which awarded a green jersey. In the points "Commission of Inquiry into the effectiveness of classification, cyclists got points for finishing the fight against doping" report - to publish all among the best in a stage finish, or in sample IDs along with the result of the intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most retrospective test. This publication revealed, that points lead the classification, and was identified the 9 negative samples belonged to 5 riders (of with a green jersey. whom two nevertheless had confessed using There was also a mountains classification. The EPO in that Tour), while the 44 positive samples organisation had categorized some climbs as belonged to 33 riders - including race winner either hors catégorie, 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Marco Pantani, runner-up Jan Ullrich, 3rd on the category; points for this classification were won podium Bobby Julich, and points-competition by the first cyclists that reached the top of these winner Erik Zabel. Bobby Julich had already one climbs first, with more points available for the year prior publication of his positive test, higher-categorized climbs. The cyclist with the admitted using EPO from August 1996 to July most points lead the classification, and was 1998. When combining the EPO abuse identified with a polkadot jersey. confessions of the 2 riders testing negative with The fourth individual classification was the young all the positive test results, it was indicated that rider classification, which was not marked by a 35 out of the 38 retrospectively tested riders jersey. This was decided the same way as the (92%) had been using EPO in the 1998 Tour. general classification, but only riders under 26 In addition to those 92% of the 38 riders in the years were eligible. retrospective test, who either tested EPO For the team classification, the times of the best positive or confessed EPO abuse, 9 out of 9 three cyclists per team on each stage were Festina riders and 2 out of 9 TVM riders, who added; the leading team was the team with the were not tested by the retrospective test but lowest total time. implicated in prior police investigations, also confessed using EPO in the Tour. Finally at least The 1998 Tour de France was the 85th Tour de five more riders, who were neither France and took place between 11 July and 2 retrospectively tested nor a part of TVM/Festina, August 1998. The tour started in Ireland for the opted later on also to confess having doped with very first time. The 1998 tour was marred by EPO in the 1998 edition of the Tour. All in all, several doping scandals throughout, together more than 50 riders have now been confirmed known as the Festina affair, starting with the either by tests/confessions, to have used EPO arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French doping during the 1998 Tour de France. -2- The 1998 edition of Tour de France was won by something the majority of the peloton had used, Marco Pantani, with podium placing of Jan at this point of time. Ullrich, the defending champion, and American Police investigations and arrests Bobby Julich. Erik Zabel won his third Three days ahead of the Tour start, the masseur consecutive green jersey in the points of Team Festina, Willy Voet, was found at the classification. Christophe Rinero claimed the Belgian border to have his car full of large polka dot jersey as the winner of the mountains quantities of syringes and controlled substances, classification. including narcotics, erythropoietin (EPO), growth Results hormones, testosterone and amphetamines. There were several classifications in the 1998 When raiding the Festina headquarters in Tour de France. The most important was the France, the police also found a document with general classification, calculated by adding each systematic drug programmes for the Festina cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The riders. As the Tour had started in Ireland, the cyclist with the least accumulated time was the French police waited to the 1st stage in France race leader, identified by the yellow jersey; the before arresting the Festina Team's directeur winner of this classification is considered the sportif and doctor: Bruno Roussel and Eric winner of the Tour. Rijckaert. Faced by the evidence, Roussel and Additionally, there was a points classification, Rijckaert soon confessed, leading to all 9 which awarded a green jersey. In the points Festina riders being forced to withdraw after classification, cyclists got points for finishing stage 6. among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most At the first rest day, after stage 11, the Festina points lead the classification, and was identified affair got extended, with several other teams with a green jersey. being searched by the police, and a 2nd police There was also a mountains classification. The investigation leading to long interrogations of organisation had categorized some climbs as TVM riders and imprisonment of the 3 TVM either hors catégorie, first, second, third, or staffs: manager, doctor and soigneur. As a fourth-category; points for this classification were reaction to the treatment by the French police, won by the first cyclists that reached the top of the peloton staged a solidarity sit-down protest these climbs first, with more points available for both during stage 12 and stage 17. The Tour the higher-categorized climbs. The cyclist with directors later nullified the results of stage 17, as the most points lead the classification, and was the peloton in a gesture had let all TVM-riders identified with a polkadot jersey. pass the finish line a couple of seconds ahead of The 4th individual classification was the young the peloton. All four Spanish teams (ONCE, rider classification, which was not marked by a Banesto, Vitalicio Seguros,Kelme) and one jersey. This was decided the same way as the Italian team (Riso Scotti) even decided to pull out general classification, but only riders under 26 of the race, at the urging of the ONCE team, led years were eligible. by the French National Champion Laurent For the team classification, the times of the best Jalabert. After the stage, the police due to a three cyclists per team on each stage were suspicion of organized doping also at other added; the leading team was the team with the teams, decided to search their hotels and lowest total time. arrested rider Rodolfo Massi (Casino) and 2 For the combativity classification, a jury gave team managers (Française des Jeux and points after each stage to the cyclists they Casino). Massi was at this point of time nr.7 in considered most combative. The cyclist with the the GC and wearing the mountain jersey, but most votes in all stages lead the classification. had to leave the race due to the police finding illegal corticosteroids in his hotel room. He was Doping also charged by the police for having sold EPO 1998 marks the year cycling was fundamentally and other medicines to some riders in the shattered by doping revelations. Paradoxically no peloton, as Voet had named him as one of his riders were caught doping positive by any of the "business relation-ships", but this criminal ordinary doping controls in place at the time. charge was later drop-ped - due to no additional Never-the-less several police searches and proof found by police. The Italian Olympic interrogations, managed to proof existence of Committee subsequently only banned him six organized doping at the two teams Festina and months for doping possession. TVM, who consequently had to withdraw from the race.