Bordry raises questions about 2009 Tour

[Race Radio]

As part of this investigation in the Senate, the president of the French Agency for the Fight against Doping (AFLD), Pierre Bordry said I should ask on the subject responsible for ASO, organizer of the Tour de France.

"They know many things that happened in their competition," he said. "I invite the inquiry commission to take statements from responsible ASO on a passage from the Spanish border to some riders during the 2009 Tour," he added.

The 2009 Tour was a foray into Spain and Andorra in the 6th, 7th and 8th stage of that edition.

"There are rumors circulating and will need to ask the people of ASO on them as they say they knew they had runners in this area (Andorra) crossed the Spanish border," he said.

http://deportes.terra.com.mx/futbol...65781a261b98d310VgnCLD2000000ec6eb0aRCRD.html

Would not be the first time he asked questions
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/afld-president-publicly-criticises-ucis-tour-tests

 

[northstar]

In the last paragraph, it says ASO knew they had “runners” crossing into Spain. Does runner mean rider??

 

[Dear Wiggo]

In the last paragraph, it says ASO knew they had “runners” crossing into Spain. Does runner mean rider??

Yes .

 

[northstar]

Other than the riders crossing the border, what’s the rumor? Shall I start one? Certain Astana riders crossed the border into Spain to visit a certain camper van owned by Ferrari on the first rest day of the TdF. Or was that 2002? What happened in 2009?
.

 

[Galic Ho]

Yes .

Runner meaning rider? So the line of questioning would be pointless.

Dude use your brain. It likely means drug courier for a rider/team. The French are many things, but it's hardly likely they'd call a rider a runner. In the context of what is being said, it sounds like a drug 'runner.' Thus insinuating the ASO had knowledge of this and kept quiet.

 

[L'arriviste]

Riders not runners. It's a bad translation of "corredores". It's the same with "coureurs" in French. It can mean runners but in this article it means riders. There is no distinction between the two (foot or bike) in Spanish.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Runner meaning rider? So the line of questioning would be pointless.

Dude use your brain. It likely means drug courier for a rider/team. The French are many things, but it's hardly likely they'd call a rider a runner. In the context of what is being said, it sounds like a drug 'runner.' Thus insinuating the ASO had knowledge of this and kept quiet.

As pointed out by our resident dopeology expert, the same word is used to mean rider or runner. Something I learnt when staying in France with a French family for 10 weeks last July.

I highly doubt there is a direct translation in French or Spanish to "drug runner" and would more likely be trafficker or similar.

Use my brain. Uh huh. Like that ever happens.

 

[Galic Ho]

Riders not runners. It's a bad translation of "corredores". It's the same with "coureurs" in French. It can mean runners but in this article it means riders. There is no distinction between the two (foot or bike) in Spanish.

Wow. Learn something knew everyday. Bet that gets confusing. Things that get lost in translation.

Wiggo I guess the French did muck up that one. Runners meaning riders...what next? Doping meaning legit?

So does this make the article more interesting? There were bike riders in Andorra in 2009's Tour? Tell me something I don't know. They went there from Barcelona. Unless they are saying the riders deliberately crossed back over during a rest stage?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Wow. Learn something knew everyday. Bet that gets confusing. Things that get lost in translation.

Wiggo I guess the French did muck up that one. Runners meaning riders...what next? Doping meaning legit?

So does this make the article more interesting? There were bike riders in Andorra in 2009's Tour? Tell me something I don't know. They went there from Barcelona. Unless they are saying the riders deliberately crossed back over during a rest stage?

Kinda like loving your woman, cycling and chocolate cake. Pretty sure they mean different things, right? Agape, phileo and eros.

Anyway.

I think it makes it interesting - why would riders be crossing back over the border - for the steak?

 

[Ferminal]

Who was based in Spain?

Contador
Armstrong
Wiggins
Vande Velde

For the others I doubt it would make logistical sense to have something in Spain. Although they could be patients in a local clinic.

Guess who won from a breakaway the day leaving Andorra?

 

[ElChingon]

Would not be the first time he asked questions

Also, won't be the first time there is no answer.

 

[poupou]

The french text :http://www.rmcsport.fr/editorial/361008/dopage-bordry-renvoie-le-senat-vers-aso/

Pierre Bordry, ex-président de l'AFLD (Agence française de lutte contre le dopage), a proposé à la Commission d'enquête du Sénat sur l'efficacité de la lutte antidopage d’interroger ASO, l'organisateur du Tour de France, au sujet de l’édition 2009. « Il y a des rumeurs qui circulent, et il faudrait poser la question aux gens d'Amaury Sport Organisation selon lesquelles le groupe Amaury savait qu'il y avait des coureurs qui, dans cette zone (Andorre, ndlr), passaient la frontière espagnole, a-t-il déclaré sous serment lors de son audition. Je ne sais pas pourquoi ils passaient la frontière espagnole, ni quel besoin ils en avaient mais pour le Tour de France suivant, ils (ASO) ont donné des indications aux directeurs d'équipe, semble-t-il, pour leur dire qu'il ne fallait pas recommencer. Je retire de ces rumeurs, et je dis que ce ne sont que des rumeurs qu'il faudrait vérifier auprès des intéressés, que les dirigeants du Tour de France sont tout à fait engagés dans la lutte contre le dopage, mais qu'ils savent quand même pas mal de choses de ce qui se passe sur leur compétition. »

So yes he is referring to riders.

 

[will10]

Who was based in Spain?

Contador
Armstrong
Wiggins
Vande Velde

For the others I doubt it would make logistical sense to have something in Spain. Although they could be patients in a local clinic.

Guess who won from a breakaway the day leaving Andorra?

I couldn't remember but did crack a smile when I looked up who it was. He was pretty strong that day

 

[Galic Ho]

Kinda like loving your woman, cycling and chocolate cake. Pretty sure they mean different things, right? Agape, phileo and eros.

Anyway.

I think it makes it interesting - why would riders be crossing back over the border - for the steak?

Well the Greeks have 4 words for love. So not French or Spanish but I get your point. I always remember the eros and agape because...well that is why I've heard the most of.

Why would riders cross back into Spain? Take your pick...steak, siestas, sangria, sexy senoritas! You name it. Spain and the 's' word army. Would never be drugs because apart from stanozolol I can't think of any that make the 's' word grade.

Ferminal are you suggesting Contador did something amiss there? I liked that stage. One of the nicest looking places I have seen in bike racing. Vibrant colours, nice roads, the scenery and architecture looked fantastic.

In all seriousness though you might be on to something. It's not like Astana made the doping testers wait for an hour that year is it?

 

[Benotti69]

The suggestion by Bodry is that riders crossed into Spain to dope (blood transfusions) when the TdF was near the border? But the race entered Spain and riders would've stayed in Spain at least 1 night if not more from the end of stage 5 to stage 8.

But he could also be referring to the rest day July 13, which was not a great day to take a BB as the next 5 stages were flat.

July 20 would've been a rest day in Switzerland and no doubt the veins were popping and the blood was flowing.

 

[hrotha]

For the record: things don't get lost in translation that easily. Google Translate loses them.

 

[JPM London]

The french text :http://www.rmcsport.fr/editorial/361008/dopage-bordry-renvoie-le-senat-vers-aso/

So yes he is referring to riders.

Can we get a proper translation of the text from someone??

From my poor skills and a vv quick read through it seems to me that plot is the race was somehow planned to enter Spain while knowing - if not approving, allowing or facilitating - the dodgy stuff this would enable...

 

[L'arriviste]

Andorra seems to be a popular location for pharmaceutical products in general.

I cannot remember now why exactly, but it was something I learned while researching Operación Carrera, a 2011 bust which centred on a Catalan supply chain leading to an Andorran online pharmacy, using evidence including a tip-off from the late Xavier Tondo.

I'd like to suggest that it had to do with the facility of obtaining medical products without prescription and/or without paper trails but I don't want to sensationalise this when I can't recall the details.

 

[L'arriviste]

Andorra seems to be a popular location for pharmaceutical products in general.
...
I'd like to suggest that it had to do with the facility of obtaining medical products without prescription and/or without paper trails but I don't want to sensationalise this when I can't recall the details.

OK, if you'll forgive the hoglike self-quoting, this could be a clue to what I was trying to (re)discover:

[Andorran] pharmacies sell US-approved drugs that do not yet have EU licences. Non-prescription Viagra, displayed in at least one chemist's window and on websites is another sideline.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/27/andorra-financial-crisis-tax

Browse Andorran pharma websites and you'll regularly find products like HGH for sale without prescription.

Cross-border activity, especially where the destination is a tax haven, seems to be a common theme in doping. Como-Chiasso is another classic. Involving two national authorities can slow down an investigation and cloak the financial transactions, although ultimately it may not have panned out for Ferrari, who even used his son as a proxy to build in those all-important degrees of separation.

 

[CharacterFirst]

Well the Greeks have 4 words for love. So not French or Spanish but I get your point. I always remember the eros and agape because...well that is why I've heard the most of.

"The Four Loves" C.S.Lewis

Good little book that one.

 

[ventoux67]

Other than the riders crossing the border, what’s the rumor? Shall I start one? Certain Astana riders crossed the border into Spain to visit a certain camper van owned by Ferrari on the first rest day of the TdF. Or was that 2002? What happened in 2009?
.

A certain Astana rider

 

[Galic Ho]

"The Four Loves" C.S.Lewis

Good little book that one.

Something for me to lookup. Cheers

Just found out it isn't really fiction. Ok. Not what I thought of but it does explain why I've heard what I have about greek words for love.

@hrotha. Point taken. If that is the case then perhaps people should not bother with a google translate link? Just give the French or Spanish article. There are plenty of forum members who can give a basic run down for the English speakers.

 

[Galic Ho]

A certain Astana rider

We know Lance liked Spain, but I take it you aren't referring to him?

 

[RownhamHill]

We know Lance liked Spain, but I take it you aren't referring to him?

Any chance everyone can stop speaking in riddles, and actually explain what the rumours are?

 

[Race Radio]

Any chance everyone can stop speaking in riddles, and actually explain what the rumours are?

There were several teams that made trips into Spain during the rest day. There were some small reports of it at the time, will try to dig it up