PtG Article 23.05.2011

UCI allegedly helped cover up a positive Armstrong test

Former cycler Tyler Hamilton has made claims that Lance Armstrong told him that he tested positive for EPO during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland, but escaped sanctions due to intervention from the International Cycling Union (UCI).

Hamilton, who retired from cycling after receiving an eight-year doping ban in 2009, also revealed in the interview, that he had used several performing enhancing drugs and that he had not been taken them alone.

According to Hamilton, Lance Armstrong, his former teammate, was also using the prohibited substances as well as helping others obtaining the drugs.

The claims have been refuted both by the UCI who denies any positive test from Armstrong and cover-up allegations and by Lance Armstrong’s lawyer, Mark Fabiani who questions CBS’s journalistic integrity.

“Throughout the entire process. CBS has demonstrated a serious lack of journalistic fairness and has elevated sensation over fairness”, Fabiani said in a statement on Sunday.

The ’60 Minutes’ show featuring Tyler Hamilton can be watched here:Part 1: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366948n&tag=contentMain;contentAux

Part 2: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366946n&tag=contentMain;contentAux

SOURCE: REUTERS and CBS NEWS