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Hamilton blood tests show 'inconsistencies'
This story has been updated - September 21
By Andrew Hood
VeloNews European correspondent
This report filed September 20, 2004
Tyler Hamilton is denying media reports of blood tampering that have been detected in two samples taken since he won the Olympic time trial gold medal last month.

The Vuelta a España was rocked overnight following reports that the UCI informed Phonak team doctor Iñaki Arratibel that blood samples taken Aug. 19 and Sept. 18 showed traces of mixed blood cells. Follow-up tests were scheduled for later Tuesday.

Phonak confirmed those reports, but said Hamilton has denied any wrong-doing. Phonak officials have scheduled a press conference at the team's headquarters in Zurich on Tuesday afternoon.

"I received the news yesterday evening and I can't say more except to tell you that I spoke with the rider and, knowing him as I do, I'm relatively calm," Phonak sport director Alvaro Pino told MARCA radio. "He told me, ‘Be calm, because this will work out in my favor and I'm telling you that sincerely, because there's absolutely nothing in this.'"

"I'm not the one who can explain everything that has happened," Pino said Tuesday. "The team will give a full explanation later this afternoon in a press conference in Zurich with Tyler there as well. ... I believe what Tyler told me and I believe that he's smart enough not to risk taking a blood transfusion. The rule of the team is the same for any rider. If he is considered positive, he will be fired from the team."

The Associated Press reported that team spokesman Georges Luedinger said Hamilton denied having a transfusion, which can boost an athlete's performance by increasing the amount of oxygen-transporting red blood cells in their system.

"Tyler told us he did nothing," said Luedinger, adding the UCI said the tests revealed "mixed red blood cell population, an indication of a homologous blood transfusion."

The Vuelta has been using a new sophisticated blood screening machine that can detect blood transfusions, human growth hormones and synthetic hemoglobin which were previously undetectable. The apparatus was also used at the Tour de France and the Olympic Games in Athens.

The two tests came following Hamilton's biggest successes of the 2004 season. The first came a day after winning the Olympic time trial gold medal, the first American male road race gold medal since 1984. The second test came on Sept. 18, just days after he won a Vuelta time trial to become the first American to win stages in all three grand tours. Hamilton did not start the 13th stage after complaining of stomach problems.

Hamilton could not be reached by VeloNews on Tuesday morning, but La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the American is already planning his legal defense against the allegations. Hamilton, 33, has never tested positive for banned substances or been disciplined by the UCI during his 10-year professional career.

Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton faces a ban for doping after failing blood tests in Athens and last week's Tour of Spain.

The 33-year-old American was found guilty of blood doping after winning the Vuelta's eighth stage, a time-trial, on 11 September.

Hamilton pulled out of the Tour on 16 September, citing stomach problems.

A previous "A" test carried out in Athens on 19 August also reportedly showed up blood cell irregularities.

Georges Luedinger, a spokesman for Hamilton's Phonak team, said cycling's governing body the UCI had informed them Hamilton's tests showed "presence of a mixed red blood cell population, indication of a homologous blood transfusion".

In this case homologous means blood from another person.

The UCI is awaiting the results of a second "B" test on Tuesday designed to confirm the preliminary results.

Phonak team director Alvaro Pino said: "I received the news yesterday evening and I can't say more except to tell you that I spoke with the rider and, knowing him as I do, I'm relatively calm.

"He told me, 'Be calm, because this will work out in my favour and I'm telling you that sincerely, because there's absolutely nothing in this'."

Hamilton injured his back in a crash which led to his retirement during the 13th stage of the Tour de France in July, but bounced back to take Olympic gold in Athens.

He also famously went on to finish fourth in the 2003 Tour de France after breaking his collarbone in the first stage.

Blood doping is a method of increasing the number of red blood cells in the body which in turn carry more oxygen to the muscles.

In the past, blood would be removed from an athlete's system and then frozen and stored for several weeks before being reinjected into their system a day or two before a big race.

More recently athletes in endurance sports have used intravenously injected drugs such as erythropoietin (EPO) to get similar effects.

They will easily get to the bottom of the case because:

1. If Tyler had any transfusion due to surgery it can be easily established and dated.
2. Any transfusions that are 4 month old (or longer) could not be tested for because red blood cell live only 120 days. So, Tyler has to show that he had been transfused within the last 4 month. There was no any news about that.
3. A lot of circumstantial evidence is not in Tyler's favor.

Hamilton said he would "fight this until I don't have a euro left in my pocket."

Tests at the Athens Olympics on Aug. 19 and at the Spanish Vuelta on Sept. 18 showed evidence of blood from another person, cycling's governing body said, according to a spokesman for Hamilton's team, Phonak. Follow-up tests were scheduled for later Tuesday.

Phonak spokesman Georges Luedinger said Hamilton denied having a transfusion - which can boost an athlete's performance by increasing the amount of oxygen-transporting red blood cells in his system.

"Tyler told us he did nothing," Luedinger said.

If found guilty of a violation at the Olympics, Hamilton would lose his gold. Three athletes had gold medals revoked for doping during the Aug. 13-29 games.

"I am 100 percent innocent," Hamilton said.

Former world champion Oscar Camenzind was fired by Phonak and announced his retirement after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance EPO shortly before the Olympic.

A record 24 athletes - none American - from various sports were cited for drug-test violations at the Athens Olympics.

Asked about Hamilton's reported positive test at the Olympics, IOC medical director Patrick Schamasch said, "For the moment, I can't confirm or deny anything."

IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said, "As with all doping procedures, while a process is underway, we can't go into details."

USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia said the IOC had not said anything to his organization about Hamilton's medal. He said he was waiting to see the results of the tests Hamilton was to take Tuesday.

"We're not in a position to take a position. We hope for the best with this, as we do with any athlete," Bisceglia said.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it had no comment.

Hamilton's gold was one of four medals won by American cyclists at the Athens Games - the team's best showing since winning nine at the boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Hamilton was the only American cyclist to win a gold medal in Athens, and he called that victory "the highlight of my career, by far."

Hamilton's mother said from her home in Marblehead, Mass., that the family learned of the tests Tuesday morning.

"This comes as a total shock to us," Lorna Hamilton said.

If Hamilton is disqualified, the gold medal would go to Russia's Viatcheslav Ekimov, with American Bobby Julich moving up to silver and Australia's Michael Rogers to the bronze.

Hamilton pulled out midway through the 2004 Tour de France because of a back injury and was fourth in the 2003 Tour.

Hamilton pulled out of the Vuelta on Sept. 16, citing stomach problems.

Hamilton may lose the gold medal he won in Athens
Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton has been suspended by his Phonak team after failing a dope test.

The American, who tested positive for blood doping at the Olympics and the Tour of Spain, is waiting for the results of his "B" samples.

"We have to concentrate on the facts. These seem to speak against Tyler," said Phonak boss Andy Rihs.

Rihs added that if Hamilton could not prove his innocence then he would be sacked by Phonak.

Phonak's stance is a complete U-turn from their position on Tuesday, when they gave their full backing to the American.

Hamilton claims he is innocent and says his "B" test results, which are expected on Wednesday, will clear him.

BLOOD DOPING EXPLAINED
What is it?
The administration of red blood cells to increase the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity

Examples include:
Injecting someone else's red blood cells; removing own blood and returning it once body has compensated by making more blood

Why would athletes do it?
The better the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, the better an athlete's endurance

Side effects can include:
Blood clots, overload of circulatory system, kidney damage, transmission of infectious diseases

Chances of being caught:
A new test can only detect the practice if the blood comes from a donor

His positive "A" samples suggest that Hamilton had blood from another person put into his body in order to increase his red blood cell count, giving him greater stamina.

If Hamilton's "B" test also shows proof of a blood transfusion, it would mark the first positive blood doping case.

If he is disqualified from the Olympics the gold medal would go to Russia's Viatcheslav Ekimov, with American Bobby Julich moving up to silver and Australia's Michael Rogers taking the bronze.

Hamilton pulled out of midway through the Tour of Spain citing stomach problems.

He acknowledged on Tuesday that that action had been partly because of his positive test.

Hamilton has returned to Switzerland to watch as his "B" sample is tested.

Phonak: Hamilton's Vuelta B-Sample positive; Athens sample is not
By Agence France Presse
This report filed September 23, 2004
The B-sample taken from Olympic time-trial champion Tyler Hamilton at the Vuelta a Espana earlier this month as come back positive, his Phonak cycling team announced Thursday.

The team also reported that the B-sample for similar doping test by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier in Athens was negative.

Phonak said it was setting up a scientific board to check the validity of testing methods because of the apparently conflicting results shown by the IOC's procedure, and the one used by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in Spain.

Hamilton has been suspended from racing by the Phonak team and will be thrown out unless he is able to prove he is innocent of blood doping charges, the Swiss team said Wednesday.

The 33-year-old faces a possible two year ban after testing positive in the first sample for an allegedly illicit blood transfusion following his win on the Tour of Spain's eighth stage time trial on September. He pulled out of the Tour six days later apparently due to stomach problems. But Phonak challenged the testing method, saying it was based on "probability and interpretation measurements" and "uncertainties will remain."

"Because neither UCI nor IOC have so far disclosed data and because legal procedures may last for a long time without a clear outcome, the team management has decided to establish a scientific board in order to achieve clarity as to the medical method and reliability of these new blood testing tools," it added. Hamilton will remain suspended from the team while the probe is carried out, Phonak said. "The team's goal is - and this is in the exact interest of Tyler Hamilton - that we have clarity at the end," a statement issued by the Swiss team said. The US rider reiterated Thursday that he was innocent of blood doping on the Olympics, and had issued a broader denial earlier this week.

"I guarantee that I represented the United States of America as an honest, clean and proud athlete," he said. "As the Olympic Committee did not promptly inform me of the alleged anti-doping violation until one month after the event on August 18, 2004, it was not possible to defend myself before."

"Regardless of this I will prove my innocence," he added. Blood doping is a means of enhancing an athlete's endurance by increasing the amount of oxygen-carrying red cells in the blood stream, using his own blood or a donor of the same group. The method is believed to have entered sport in the 1970s but was not made illegal unitl 1986. It was made redundant in the late 1980s with the arrival of the synthetic version of the blood-boosting hormone erythropoietin (EPO). But the fact that EPO has become detectable since 2000 has given rise to speculation that blood doping has returned.

Tyler Hamilton's statement
Reproduced here in full is the latest statement from Tyler Hamilton:

First of all I would like to discuss the recent press releases concerning my suspension from the team. This decision was taken jointly by Andy Rihs in his function as team owner and myself and communicated already during the press conference held on Tuesday evening. I am still a member of the Phonak Cycling Team and will continue to participate in the day to day decisions concerning our team.

With regard to the B-test from the Olympic Games, no official information has been provided to me as of today. However, I am sure that the Gold medal that I worked so hard for will stay in my hands. I guarantee that I represented the United States of America as an honest, clean and proud athlete. As the Olympic Committee did not promptly inform me of the alleged anti-doping violation until one month after the event on August 18, 2004, it was not possible to defend myself before. Regardless of this I will prove my innocence.

I will support the scientific board established by Phonak Cycling and myself, which I strongly believe will put light on the questions we have on the reliability of this new test. Hopefully with this scientific team, we can find a foolproof method to this test in order to the prevent other athletes ending up in the same situation. I believe that this is the only way to bring clarity to this matter.

It is necessary that I will be released from the allegations based on a scientifically conducted correction of the testing method. It is of further essence that I can as soon as possible, together with my team, form part of a reinstated reputation with evidence that I have contributed to valid, reliable and watertight measures in the anti-doping campaign. In this sense I fully support this research and development project, and I am confident that its result will bring me back to cycling soon so I can pursue my dream of winning the Tour de France.

I very much appreciate the support of my family, my friends, my team and fans.

Tyler Hamilton

I've seen a lot of cyclists post on the forums that their done with cycling because of this, because they're sick of the doping, sick of the controversy, and sick of the sporting fraud. This really pisses me off. When I'm on my bike, busting my ass for 4-6 hours on a Sunday morning, with only some waffles, peanut butter, a banana, water, Accelerade and maybe a Clif bar in my system... My health, my fitness, my enjoyment, and my suffering have fuck all to do with a professional cyclist half a world away doping.

Having said all of that... If this was ANY rider other than Tyler (including and almost especially Lance), I'd read their statements and be like, "yeah right..." Tyler though has always, always, always come off as an honest, hard-working, straightforward guy.

LONDON (AP) -- Helped by a laboratory's big blunder, Tyler Hamilton will be allowed to keep his Olympic cycling gold medal.

The International Olympic Committee dropped its investigation Thursday into a blood test from the Summer Games that showed Hamilton used a transfusion to boost his endurance. The decision was made only because the Athens lab mistakenly put his backup sample in a deep freeze -- not because the IOC believes he was clean.