Saunier Duval is not happy with two of their riders being suspected of doping. The Saunier Duval management has stated their disgust regarding newspapers making big headlines of alleged doping when it comes to Piepoli and our own Iban. Iban has, as you all know, been cleared without any problems whatsoever, but Piepoli is still under "investigation". Saunier Duval released an official statement regarding the matter, and here it is in full version:
With regards the indiscreet remarks which have appeared in recent hours in some media sources, and after having received confirmation from the UCI, SAUNIER DUVAL-PRODIR bitterly denies the rumour that two of its riders were involved in a case of doping during the recent Giro d´Italia.In the case of Iban Mayo, his situation has already been cleared up and his case will shortly be closed. As for Piepoli, his non-negative result relates to Salbutamol, a substance found in medicines commonly used by those suffering from respiratory problems, in most cases provoked by allergies. In order to be able to use these medicines during the competitions, Piepoli, along with other professional cyclists, holds a certificate approved by the Medical Commission of the UCI. The concentration above the permitted limit found in his urine is still being analysed in a Barcelona laboratory, where the causes of this result should be established, taking into account a series of parameters among which his weight of 54 kilograms will be considered.We are confidently awaiting the official results of these analyses but, at the present moment, any conclusion would be groundless. We remind the public that prior cases of non-negatives have already been found and that, following subsequent analyses and the review of reports and medical permits, the vast majority of these cases result in the rider in question being cleared of all blame. However, in these previous cases, the names of the athletes involved had never been revealed to the public at such a premature stage. For this reason, we firmly condemn and show our profound disagreement with the unfortunate leaking of these recent stories, and reserve the right to take relevant action against those who have been able to harm, through simple rumours, the image of our riders and sponsors.
I comletely agree with them, as certain newspapers are trying to make controversy and scandals all over the place, without any evidence to back them up. Because of unfounded allegations, Iban and Piepoli`s image, as well as Saunier Duval`s, has been tainted. But, I hope people don`t regard Iban as a cheater, as he most surely isn`t. You`re all allowed to have your own opinion, but he should be trusted I think.
