Rocky Mountain News 19 avril 2005

Boulder cyclist keeps gold medal, forfeits results since Sept. 11

Rick Sadowski

Boulder cycling star Tyler Hamilton, who won an Olympics gold medal at Athens in August, on Monday received a two-year suspension for allegedly using a blood transfusion a month later to boost his performance.

Hamilton, 34, called the ruling a "tragedy" after the United States Anti-Doping Agency at Colorado Springs announced the majority decision by an independent three- member arbitration panel from the American Arbitration Association/North American Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Hamilton was given the maximum penalty for a first- time offense. He has forfeited all competitive results achieved from the date of the positive test (Sept. 11, 2004, in the Tour of Spain) and is barred from competition until April 17, 2007.

"It caught me completely by surprise," Hamilton said in a phone interview. "Not for a second did I think it was going to turn out this way. The bottom line is an innocent athlete was suspended from competition. You could say it's a victory for USADA, but I think it's better to say it's a tragedy for all athletes. I'm innocent.

"I wouldn't have been outside busting my butt (Monday) for six hours in the saddle to come home and hear this news. If even 1 percent of me thought it wasn't going to turn out well, I don't think I could have found the motivation to go out and train like that."

Hamilton has retained the services of attorney Howard Jacobs and will appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport at Lausanne, Switzerland.

"This is far from over," Hamilton said.

Panel members Richard McLaren and Hugh Fraser ruled Hamilton committed a doping violation for transfusing another person's blood. Such transfusions increase red blood cells that carry oxygen and boost aerobic power and endurance.

But Hamilton was encouraged because one member of the panel, Christopher Campbell, wrote a dissenting opinion, saying the testing method "failed to meet the prevailing standards of the scientific community."

"It's nice to know that somebody heard what we had to say and agreed with us," Hamilton said. "We do have another chance here. I don't feel like USADA gave us a fair trial. I'm still very optimistic."

USADA said in a news release, based on blood screens taken in the spring and summer of 2004, the International Cycling Federation had warned Hamilton he was suspected of manipulating his blood. Following the warnings, the federation targeted Hamilton and he tested positive.

"(The federation) took the necessary action to protect the integrity of its sport," USADA CEO Terry Madden said in a statement. "This decision shows that the sport is committed to protecting the rights of all clean athletes and that no athlete is above the rules."

Hamilton said, when informed he had tested positive in Spain, his request for a second test was denied.

"It's a brand new test and I'm the first athlete ever to be accused of this and they don't even want to back up (the original result) with an extra sample," he said.

"It's a black day for all athletes competing, especially in nonunionized sports."

Anti-doping officials said Hamilton tested positive for blood doping in the Olympics, but he was allowed to keep his gold medal because the lab at Athens improperly froze a second sample, destroying red cells and making it impossible to perform a required backup test.

Hamilton said he never would take a blood transfusion other than in a life-threatening situation, especially after he and his wife, Haven, lost a beloved golden retriever, Tugboat, in the summer after the second of two transfusions.

"He had a mild stroke and it paralyzed half his face," Hamilton said. "It was terrible."

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