While many observers may construe the positive tests of Stefan Schumacher and Leonardo Piepoli as another nail in the coffin of cycling, Tour de France boss Christian Prudhomme is leading the chorus of voices praising the efforts of France's anti-doping authority in catching drug cheats.
"It's very good. It allows us to confound the cheaters, Prudhomme told AP. "What's being done at the Tour de France has never existed in the world of sport; in no competition."
And while the German Cycling Federations (BDR) is reeling at the potential impact of Schumacher's latest and greatest misdemeanour, Prudhomme remained philosophical and very much focused on the positives. "It's clear that those who have cheated, we're not going to consider that they won. We are not the ones who do the rankings, but I can't see how they can stay."
He explained that the methods used to uncover these latest infringements are widening the net for potential cheats to be caught, event if it does take some time. "People in the street ask me: 'How did that come out so late?' In July, the process wasn't legitimate at the time... These tests are of a new type."
The man arguably responsible for these new processes, AFLD chief Pierre Bordry, explained that there may be more announcements to the same tune as the Schumacher and Piepoli cases in the near future. "There are tests ongoing. I don't know if they will be positive or negative. We are only looking for CERA, not the rest."
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