The shamed doping doctor Michele Ferrari, who is banned from working in sport for life following his part in the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, has spoken out in Lance Armstrong's defence.
Speaking to the Al Jazeera news channel, Ferrari said: "''I can say I've never seen, I never heard something about that. He never asked me for information about doping.'
''I've never seen any doping practice from Lance Armstrong.''
Ferrari is widely considered to have been at the forefront of the systematic doping that dogged professional cycling for decades, and numerous riders who gave evidence to the UCI as part of its damning report into Lance Armstrong admitted working with him, including Floyd Landis, Tyler Hamilton, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde and George Hincapie
But Ferrari downplayed these connections too, saying: "My relationship with some teammates of Lance Armstrong was very, very short and occasional. It was not strict."
''There are six riders that accused me, but these riders, I didn't have any relationship, any consulting with these guys. What I can say about the USADA investigation is that there is no evidence, in particular no evidence against me.''
The USADA alleges that Armstrong paid Ferrari around $1 million between 1996 and 2006.
Ferrari added that he was considering taking legal action to contest his ban from working in the sport.
Click here to view the video interview in full.
15 thoughts on “Banned doping doctor defends Armstrong, says he ‘saw nothing’”
Mellow Johnny exonerated at
Mellow Johnny exonerated at last!
…oh please Michele
:^o …oh please Michele (|:
His bum will be on fire.
His bum will be on fire.
I cannot help but think that
I cannot help but think that there is another chapter out there… bring it on Michele. He consistantly refutes allegations against him in his website (www.53×12.com. I would like to hear more from him. Even if it is a load of old b**l
What’s the point?
What’s the point?
I assume Francois that you
I assume Francois that you mean what is the point of listening to Michele; he is integral to the Armstrong saga supposedly the scientific brain behind the doping. He himself still denies any involvement on his website; he says USADA are full of hot air and wrong. He has not posted much since the USADA papers were published but none of his posts suggest a man humiliated and ostracised from sport for years. Micheles’ latest article (6/12/12) suggests that Lances’ orchiectomy may have played a part in his victories…
I’m intrigued by this. Was
I’m intrigued by this. Was Michele’s latest article in a peer review journal? More to the point, would being monorchidal work for everyone else?
The article is on his website
The article is on his website The Rumpo Kid (with appropriate references http://www.53×12.com) With a conclusion that taking testosterone for its performance enhancing effect could be counter-productive. I find the whole site a good read but you need to know Michele’s history!
SideBurn wrote:The article is
Thanks for the link Sideburn. The paper Michele uses to back up this article appeared in 2007 in “Medical Hypotheses”, a journal widely criticised for NOT being peer review, and publishing articles solely on the basis they were “interesting”. Not much of a scientific backup for Michele’s claims!
Next he will say Lance’s
Next he will say Lance’s performance was down to a very high level of Mitichlorians.
I have just had to look up
I have just had to look up Mitichlorians 🙂
They’re for the Tour de
They’re for the Tour de Force.
OK cheers; ‘Medical
OK cheers; ‘Medical Hypothesis’ the Viz of the medical world? I have to admit my ‘respect’ for Michele comes from the idea that Lance (and others) would not pay thousands for his services if he did not know what he was doing. Even if that is how to dope and pass doping tests….
Al Jazeera is a rather odd
Al Jazeera is a rather odd choice of forum in which to assert one’s innocence and claim USADA had no evidence.
BigDummy wrote:Al Jazeera is
Exactly my thoughts – if you are going to come out and refute this what better news stram than Al Jazeera, best friends of the West and particularly the US!
If Savile was alive I think he’d be heading to Al Jazeera with Glitter to proclaim their innocence too.
Ridiculous, accept your ban and the shame and shove off into the distance Ferrari