The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has accused an Italian sports doctor of formulating a secret anabolic steroid concoction for seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and several other professional cyclists. Dr. Michele Ferrari, along with two other doctors, allegedly conspired with Lance Armstrong to traffic and administer performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). The drugs included the anabolic steroid testosterone in various delivery methods including a testosterone-olive oil mixture.
USADA charges are based on the testimony by several of Armstrong’s teammates stating team doctors and support personnel provided and/or administered steroids in the forms of Andriol (testosterone undecanate), Andriol-olive oil mixture, testosterone injections and testosterone patches.
USADA claimed that Ferrari was responsible for a novel method of doping with his creation of a sublingual Andriol and olive oil mixture. USADA said the mixture was referred to as “The Oil” by members of the USPS and Discovery cycling teams. This steroid delivery system was supposedly absorbed under the tongue directly into the lymphatic system presumably to be more effective and less detectable.
Dr. Ferrari, in a statement published on his website 53×12.com, denied any involvement in doping and ridiculed the suggested use of “oil with testosterone”.
“The presumption that olive oil may somehow facilitate or conceal the use of testosterone by athletes is a statement which is simply risible and that any endocrinologist will promptly deny,” wrote Ferrari. “This is an old “legend” that has circulated for years in the peloton, a sort of magical mixture to fantasize over while sipping a beer (maybe more than one …)”
In addition to providing anabolic steroids, Ferrari was also accused of providing professional cyclists with erythropoietin (EPO) and blood transfusions.
USADA issued a lifetime ban from the sport of cycling for his involvement in doping after Ferrari failed to respond to the charges within the deadline specified by USADA. Ferrari has denied witnessing or participating in doping with any athletes.
Source:
McGrath, M. (July 12, 2012). Sports doctor linked to Lance Armstrong denies doping. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18813674
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