Note du webmestre :
Dans La Presse de ce matin Simon Drouin raconte que Anne Samplonius est tombée des nues en apprenant hier matin que Clara Hughes avait subi un contrôle positif lors du contre-la-montre des Championnats du monde d’Agrigento en 1994.

Anne Samplonius a commenté plus avant ce 8 septembre sur facebook

I believe her

« I believe her. We have to remember this was 1994. And Sicily. I do not remember the doping test we did that day and I do not remember that Clara was also tested. But she must have been tested as I was that day (I finished 2nd, Clara was 4th in the TT).

I do remember the shady testing practices I did in other races in Italy (namely the women's Giro in 1995). They handed me a cup to pee in, pointed me to a bathroom, and walked away. This was a different era, where doping, especially in Italy, was rampart because doping and cycling went hand in hand.

Also, this was a time where supplements were not as regulated as now. Plus, the Canadian cycling team had arrived a few days prior from a cross Atlantic trip from the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, BC. I can't recall if we had taken sleeping aids to help us sleep on the plane, but I do remember we arrived late the night before the road race and had to race first thing in the morning. I remember feeling like I was asleep on the bike during that race.

There could be a few reasons why ephedrine showed up in Clara's test and we will never know. But what I do know is I believe Clara Hughes 100% that she did not take it knowingly.

I often wondered what would I have done if this had happened to me during my career? Would people have believed me? With the history of our sport, probably not. And I would have had to just live with that, like Clara is now. But it does help when there are people, like me, who will speak up in support.

I have been outspoken against dopers in our sport my whole career. Now I feel I also need to speak up when I feel someone has been wronged, someone who, like me, has been against doping her whole career but has mysteriously returned a positive (and remember we are talking ephedrine here, not HGH, EPO, cortisone, steroids, etc. This is something found in over the counter cold medicines and diet pills).

Yes, I believe Clara. I was her teammate for many years during this time, she is, and always has been, a class act.

I was there that day 21 years ago. I will vouch for her.
Clara Hughes, I got your back. »

Anne Samplonius

photo : Guy Maguire, info@veloptimum.net
Anne Samplonius, juin 2006
photo : Guy Maguire Tous droits réservés.


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