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Cyclist Jeanson banned for doping

Quebec cyclist Geneviève Jeanson is banned for life from U.S.A. Cycling.
CBC News ·

Quebec cyclist Geneviève Jeanson is banned for life from U.S.A. Cycling.

Erythropoietin (EPO)
  • Type of substance: Peptide Hormone
  • What form does the drug take? Injection
  • Clinical use: Doctors prescribe synthetic EPO to treat anaemia, or low red blood cell count, mainly in people with cancer, AIDS or kidney problems.
  • Why athletes use it & why it is banned: EPO is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring hormone. EPO stimulates the production of more red blood cells, which increases an athlete's aerobic capacity and muscle endurance.
  • Sports most associated with its use: Cycling, cross-country skiing, long distance marathons. In 1998, the rampant use of the oxygen-to-blood booster tarnished the Tour de France.

The Lachine, Que., native tested positive twice for the banned protein hormone EPO in races this summer in the United States.

EPO is the performance-enhancing drug erythropoietin

Jeanson denies that she took drugs to enhance her performance.

Jeanson, 24, tells newspaper La Presse she's retiring from competitive cycling after testing positive but says she's contesting the results to clear her name.

She cites the case of a Belgian cyclist who was cleared of doping after an investigation revealed his test came out as a false positive.

Dr. Christiane Ayotte, director of the Doping Control Laboratory at Montreal's Institut National de la Recherché Scientifique says the test that Jeanson took is dependable.

Jeanson is out to clear her name

Jeanson is out to clear her name

Jeanson will appear before the American Arbitration Association in the spring.

The controversial cyclist won the World Junior Road Race and Time Trial championships in 1999, the category 1 Tour de Snowy in 2000, and went on to win the Fleche Wallonne World Cup race.

She was a gold medallist at the World Cup road race in Montreal in May, 2003.

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