Frei confesses to micro-dosing EPO

He's got away with it for 2 years but micro-dosing has let him down this time. Is it luck or good management that got him this far?

At least he has owned up. And the others?

Frei Confesses To EPO Usage And Is Released By BMC | Cyclingnews.com

Switzerland's Thomas Frei has confessed that he has doped for the last two years, revealing he tested positive for EPO after taking a micro-dose the evening before the early-morning test.

He said he would not have his B sample tested and admitted that he doped without the knowledge of the BMC Racing Team.

Asthma medication - again. It should be clear enough by now, yes?

It's an easy one to excuse but rules are rules and they must be fairly clear by now. Yes?

Radioshack Suspends Li After Doping Positive | Cyclingnews.com

Team RadioShack rider Li Fuyu has been provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union and by his team after he returned a positive doping control in March, the UCI announced Thursday.

Li's sample, taken at the Dwaars Door Vlaanderen on March 23, was found to contain the asthma medication Clenbuterol.

Frei falls foul of EPO A sample...

Not the best way to impress your team manager and teammates, is it? Whilst the temptation is obviously still there you'd have to think the chances of getting caught are rsing all the time. Unless there is truth to the rumoured schedule of masking agents and protocol designed to minimise that risk... 

Frei Fires A Sample Positive | Cyclingnews.com

Swiss rider Thomas Frei has been withheld from competition by BMC Racing team management after he returned an A sample positive for the banned blood booster, EPO.

The 25-year-old had finished ninth in stage two of the Giro del Trentino, won by Italian rider Riccardo Riccó, to move into sixth overall. Frei was withdrawn from the event immediately pending the return of his B sample.

Gavazzi gets it by a nose

Not sure if cocaine is really a performance-enhancing drug but it's banned, so there you are.

Mattia Gavazzi Positive For Cocaine | Cyclingnews.com

UCI provisionally suspends Italian pending B-sample
Colnago CSF-Inox rider Mattia Gavazzi has been provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union following a positive doping control for cocaine.

Mild weight-loss stimulant stimulates 2 year ban

You can call it methyl synephrine or oxilofrine, either way it's a banned stimulant of the amphetamine class. Almost all stimulants are suspect for competitive sports use, so why take the risk? At least read the bottle and do a web search. If not, cop the ban.

It's fairly mild, though - used for weightloss, especially by bodybuilders to get ripped. 

Oliveira Suspended For Illegal Supplement | Cyclingnews.com

The US Anti-doping Agency (USADA) announced a two-year suspension for Flavia Oliveira, a California resident who tested positive for oxilofrine, an illegal stimulant, while racing with the Italian professional team SC Michela Fanini at the Giro del Trentino Donne in June, 2009.

The positive test was found to be the result of a weight-loss supplement called Hyperdrive 3.0. While athletes who test positive due to tainted supplements can receive reduced suspsensions under WADA rules, arbitrators placed "significant fault" on Oliveira since the ingredient Mythelsynephrine, the chemical equivalent of oxilofrine, is listed as the supplement's first ingredient on the label.

Wrong prescription, Doctor. Sabine cops 2 years

I've got no idea but I do wonder if this was self-prescribed - but then again, what sort of "doctor" is Dr Sabine? (It doesn't have to be medical, does it?) But do we care?

Sabine Gets Maximum Ban For State Title Doping Violation | Cyclingnews.com

Cycling Australia has issued Dr. Stephen Sabine a two year ban for a doping violation recorded at last year’s South Australian Criterium Championships, a State titles race in Australia. Dr. Sabine finished eighth out of as many riders in the event’s elite category, however an in-competition test conducted by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency returned a positive result.

The ASADA test found anabolic steroid testosterone and glucocorticosteriods present in the rider’s sample.

Cycling's Kopp to cop more time for coke abuse?

Kopp Faces Possibility Of Further Doping Suspension | Cyclingnews.com

David Kopp faces the possibility of further suspension related to his 2008 positive test for cocaine. The German returned to competition this year after serving a one-year ban, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the original decision to the International Cycling Union (UCI) and is seeking an extend the penalty by a further year.

Pettachi, Bernucci - searched but no news, no confirmation of findings

Italian Police Search Homes Of Petacchi And Bernucci | Cyclingnews.com

Italian police have searched the houses of Lampre-Farnese Vini riders Alessandro Petacchi and Lorenzo Bernucci as part of an investigation, with several banned drugs apparently found in Bernucci's house according to a report on the website of the La Repubblica newspaper.