Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Astarloza Proclaims Innocence

“I know that I didn’t take anything prohibited and I say it roundly: I didn’t take anything banned,” Astarloza said. “I am innocent. They are accusing me of a crime I didn’t do.”

Certainly no one is shocked at the claim of innocence. They all claim innocence, at least at first. But it does beg the question, as ever: What if he is innocent?

Everyone knows testing methods used on cyclists are, shall we say, less than totally scientifically sound. But that's mostly because doping science stays a step or two ahead of testing science. I suppose in the end it's best to fall back on innocent until proven guilty, but with a lack of absolute proof, what we're left with is the testing we have. A tough spot, for riders and fans and teams and governing bodies, but that's just the way it is.

It'll be interesting to watch how this plays out.

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