Kirk O’Bee positive for EPO
American national criterium champion Kirk O’Bee has been dealt a lifetime ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) due to a series of violations, including a positive test for the banned blood-booster Erythropoietin (EPO).
O’Bee previously served a one-year ban after testing positive for synthetic testosterone in 2001 at the US Pro road championships.
The positive for EPO was found in blood taken on May 20, 2009. He was fired from Team Bissell and dealt a provisional ban while the case went to the USADA. The USADA has been pursuing the nullification of all of O’Bee’s results as
far back as July 15, 2003, based on circumstantial evidence of doping from that date. The USADA has discovered email communications between O’Bee and Ellis Toussier, the 'King of Growth Hormone', based in Mexico City.
"I've worked out the kinks in getting products across the border, so I'd like to inquire about an order of GH and EPO," read one of O'Bee's emails, dated October 3, 2005.
The cyclist did not dispute the positive test in 2009, but claimed that the email communications uncovered by the USADA were not sent by him, but by his then-live-in partner Suzanne Johnson. The panel did not accept that argument,
and the explanation was "...convincingly rebutted by the [uncontested] testimony of USADA's two expert witnesses."
"The forensically retrieved email correspondence between Mr. O'Bee and others, along with documents copied from the hard drive of the desktop computer jointly owned and used by Mr. O'Bee and Ms. Johnson, is sufficiently authentic
and reliable evidence of Mr. O'Bee's doping violations."
The panel made the ruling based on records of banned substances being shipped to O’Bee’s address after Johnson was no longer living with him.
The USADA has succeeded in nullifying all of the cyclist’s results from the date of the above email, including his 2007 US Pro Criterium champion title, and he will not be allowed to compete professionally again.
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