Lanced: The Shaming of Lance Armstrong by David Walsh, Paul Kimmage, John Follain, Alex Butler Page A
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Essay/s, Cycling, Essays & Correspondence, Sports & Outdoors, Individual Sports
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enemy the chance to win a Tour stage.
You might imagine this as a little squabble accorded undue prominence on a quiet day. It is far more than that, because it goes to the core of what professional cycling has become. Before explaining what Simeoni had done to earn the champion's displeasure, let us recall an Italian policeman. His name was Fulvio Gori. He worked for Nas, the country's health police, and in early 1996 he and his colleagues received information that pharmacies in Tuscany were selling extraordinary amounts of the blood-boosting drug EPO.
It didn't take a lot of investigating to discover the increased demand for EPO came from the sports community, especially professional cycling. Nas got on the case, but found it a difficult one to crack. It planned a raid on the 1996 Giro d'Italia, but that was thwarted when the newspaper that promotes the race, La Gazzetta Dello Sport, published a short story warning the riders of the raid.
That made Gori and his mates even more determined, and eventually they would expose the full extent of doping in Italian cycling. In 1999, Gori agreed to an interview about his work. He was a big, affable man who loved sport and hated the culture in which sportsmen felt they had to use drugs. He hated the law of silence that existed in the peloton and which meant almost everybody was afraid to speak honestly.
He took us into a room and showed us masses of files. "Not as much there as you would think," he said. "I interviewed more than 30 cyclists. I spent a lot of time trying to get answers because we knew they were involved in doping. They were guaranteed immunity from prosecution and reassured our only interest was in prosecuting those who supplied doping products. Not one of them co-operated, not one bit of help from any of them."
Two years later, back in Bologna, there was a great sadness in hearing that Gori had died of cancer. He was in his early 40s. Thankfully, the investigation to which he had given so much time and energy continued. Doping charges were brought against Dr Michele Ferrari from the nearby town of Ferrara, and Massimo Guandalini, the Bologna pharmacist who supplied many of Ferrari's riders. Guandalini pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to two years in prison and forbidden from working in the pharmaceutical business for five years.
The case against Ferrari opened on September 20, 2001. He was charged with prescribing doping products. Although many riders had worked with Ferrari, only two were willing to testify against him. Simeoni was one of the two. On February 12, 2002, he gave his evidence to the Bologna court.
"From November 1996 to November 1997 I was treated by Ferrari," he said. "Even before that, I had taken doping products. Ferrari gave me a work schedule of increasing toughness. EPO was spoken of from the first moment. That year, effectively, I was taking EPO on his instructions. Later, in March and April, Andriol was spoken of. I needed to take it after intense training sessions.
"Ferrari also told me to be careful about not taking testosterone too close to competitions, due to the risk of being tested positive. I have never been tested positive. To avoid anti-doping problems, Ferrari told me to use emagel on the mornings of tests and to use another product the night before to lower my haematocrit level."
Two riders, Claudio Chiappucci and Gianluca Bortolami, incriminated Ferrari in interviews with the police but told different stories under oath. One other rider, Fabrizio Convalle, testified that Ferrari had helped him to dope, but the most damning evidence had come from Simeoni. The Ferrari trial is expected to end this autumn. Ferrari has always strenuously denied the charges.
Soon after his appearance in court, Simeoni was called "a liar" by Armstrong, who has worked with Ferrari since the end of 1995. Armstrong pointed to inconsistencies in the stories the rider had first given to the police and later to the judge. Simeoni countered by saying
You might imagine this as a little squabble accorded undue prominence on a quiet day. It is far more than that, because it goes to the core of what professional cycling has become. Before explaining what Simeoni had done to earn the champion's displeasure, let us recall an Italian policeman. His name was Fulvio Gori. He worked for Nas, the country's health police, and in early 1996 he and his colleagues received information that pharmacies in Tuscany were selling extraordinary amounts of the blood-boosting drug EPO.
It didn't take a lot of investigating to discover the increased demand for EPO came from the sports community, especially professional cycling. Nas got on the case, but found it a difficult one to crack. It planned a raid on the 1996 Giro d'Italia, but that was thwarted when the newspaper that promotes the race, La Gazzetta Dello Sport, published a short story warning the riders of the raid.
That made Gori and his mates even more determined, and eventually they would expose the full extent of doping in Italian cycling. In 1999, Gori agreed to an interview about his work. He was a big, affable man who loved sport and hated the culture in which sportsmen felt they had to use drugs. He hated the law of silence that existed in the peloton and which meant almost everybody was afraid to speak honestly.
He took us into a room and showed us masses of files. "Not as much there as you would think," he said. "I interviewed more than 30 cyclists. I spent a lot of time trying to get answers because we knew they were involved in doping. They were guaranteed immunity from prosecution and reassured our only interest was in prosecuting those who supplied doping products. Not one of them co-operated, not one bit of help from any of them."
Two years later, back in Bologna, there was a great sadness in hearing that Gori had died of cancer. He was in his early 40s. Thankfully, the investigation to which he had given so much time and energy continued. Doping charges were brought against Dr Michele Ferrari from the nearby town of Ferrara, and Massimo Guandalini, the Bologna pharmacist who supplied many of Ferrari's riders. Guandalini pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to two years in prison and forbidden from working in the pharmaceutical business for five years.
The case against Ferrari opened on September 20, 2001. He was charged with prescribing doping products. Although many riders had worked with Ferrari, only two were willing to testify against him. Simeoni was one of the two. On February 12, 2002, he gave his evidence to the Bologna court.
"From November 1996 to November 1997 I was treated by Ferrari," he said. "Even before that, I had taken doping products. Ferrari gave me a work schedule of increasing toughness. EPO was spoken of from the first moment. That year, effectively, I was taking EPO on his instructions. Later, in March and April, Andriol was spoken of. I needed to take it after intense training sessions.
"Ferrari also told me to be careful about not taking testosterone too close to competitions, due to the risk of being tested positive. I have never been tested positive. To avoid anti-doping problems, Ferrari told me to use emagel on the mornings of tests and to use another product the night before to lower my haematocrit level."
Two riders, Claudio Chiappucci and Gianluca Bortolami, incriminated Ferrari in interviews with the police but told different stories under oath. One other rider, Fabrizio Convalle, testified that Ferrari had helped him to dope, but the most damning evidence had come from Simeoni. The Ferrari trial is expected to end this autumn. Ferrari has always strenuously denied the charges.
Soon after his appearance in court, Simeoni was called "a liar" by Armstrong, who has worked with Ferrari since the end of 1995. Armstrong pointed to inconsistencies in the stories the rider had first given to the police and later to the judge. Simeoni countered by saying
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