Evidence discovered while USPS case goes international
French sports newspaper Equipe has reported that French police have discovered syringes and other doping equipment linked to the 2009 Tour de France. The information surfaced when American investigators from the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) spoke to the French police as part of an investigation into the former federally-funded US Postal Service cycling team.
The investigation, which involves Floyd Landis, Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel among others, has suddenly ballooned in scope. Jeff Novitzky, head of the investigation, along with American federal prosecutor Doug Miller and US
Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygard, has taken the investigation out of the States to a new base at Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France.
Spanish paper Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that Spanish and Italian authorities have teamed up with the Americans and the French to share evidence, facilitated by Interpol’s authority to reach across legal borders to collect
and use evidence internationally. The involvement of Italian prosecutor Benedetto Roberti has been confirmed, and Equipe has also reported that Pierre Bordry, the former president of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), and Françoise Lasne, head of one of
the biggest French doping labs Châtenay-Malabry, have both been questioned by the Americans.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the French police have reopened their investigation into the Astana team during the 2009 Tour de France, at which both Armstrong and Alberto Contador competed on the team. Contador went on to win
the race for the second time and successfully defended that title in 2010, though he was caught doping during the race and his third title may be revoked. He first won in 2007 but could not compete in 2008 when the Tour denied Astana an invitation to the race
due to another doping scandal.
Johan Bruyneel, current manager for Team RadioShack and former manager of Astana and USPS, has been questioned, as have Astana sports director Alain Gallopin and two team doctors.
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