Dr. Aldo Sassi says his riders are clean
Veteran coach Dr. Aldo Sassi has claimed that the seven riders he currently presides over are clean in light of the recent doping allegations against several professional cyclists.
The Italian heads the Mapei Sport Service's training centre in Italy, where Cadel Evans, Ivan Basso, Dario Cioni, Cameron Wurf, Kjell Carlstrom, Charles Wegelius and Eros Capecchi are currently in training.
“In the bible, the prophet Jonah speaks to God of the city of Nineveh, which is overrun with criminals. 'How many just men are there?' they ask. Maybe five. 'Then I won’t destroy it,' said God. In my cycling Nineveh, I can count on seven just men,” the 51-year-old
told La Gazzeta dello Sport.
Sassi's comments come after it was announced that Alberto Contador, winner of this year's Tour de France, tested positive for Clenbuterol, a prohibited substance, during this year's race.
On Thursday, October 7, Spain's general director of sports, Alberto Soler, said another seven Spanish riders are suspected of doping.
The revelations have sparked a contentious debate in cycling, which is known for its use of performance-enhancing drugs, but also for its widespread testing of athletes in comparison with other sports.
Sassi: Doping not beyond control
Ettore Torri, an Italian anti-doping investigator, said this week that doping is so widespread in the sport that no anti-doping measures introduced by the International Cycling Union (UCI) can suffice.
"Torri maintains that nobody is clean, but I say that’s not true," Sassi commented. "It’s for this reason that I continue to work in cycling. You can ride and win a Giro [d'Italia] even without doping."
The Mapei training centre carefully monitors the blood levels of its riders, and Sassi maintained that its efforts guarantee that none of the attendants are using forbidden substances.
"We create programmes to help the team doctors with their analysis of haemoglobin mass. By checking this data against the biological passport, you can see if someone is stepping out of line. It’s not anti-doping, but we can obtain suspect data and relay
it to the team."
Tags: