From ProCycling:
Note the mention of Postal team doctor Pedro Celaya. He has an interesting
history realtive to doping as Walsh and Ballester go into.
http://www.procycling.com/news.aspx?ID=574
10/1/2004
Following the conviction of Michele Ferrari by the Italian courts today,
procycling has received the following statement from Lance Armstrong's
management.
AUSTIN (Oct. 1, 2004) - Lance Armstrong is issuing the following statement
in response to an Italian court's acquittal of Dr. Michele Ferrari of
distributing doping products and his conviction for sporting fraud and
illegally acting as a pharmacist. Dr. Ferrari, who is broadly recognized as
a pioneer and leading authority in sports medicine and high-altitude
training, has been on trial since 2001 for allegedly providing professional
cyclists with illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Dr. Ferrari has served as
a conditioning consultant to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) team since 1999
under the direction of team coach Chris Carmichael and team physician Dr.
Pedro Celaya.
"I was disappointed to learn of the Italian court's judgment against Dr.
Michele Ferrari. Dr. Ferrari has been a longtime friend and trusted adviser
to me and the USPS team, during which time he never suggested, prescribed or
provided me with any performance-enhancing drugs. I was pleased to hear that
Dr. Ferrari was acquitted of the charge of providing illegal drugs to
athletes. I am not surprised by that verdict. However, I have always said
that I have zero tolerance for anyone convicted of using or facilitating the
use of performance-enhancing drugs. As a result of today's developments, the
USPS team and I have suspended our professional affiliation with Dr. Ferrari
as we await the release of the full verdict, which will contain Judge
Maurizio Passerini's reasoning. In the meantime, I personally wish the very
best for Dr. Ferrari and his family during this difficult time."
--
Peloton Pigs--Flying Since 1991