In the wake of the investigative reporting carried out by French newspaper L'Equipe that alleged Lance Armstrong had tested positive for EPO on six separate occasions during the 1999 Tour de France, the Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA) has issued a statement calling for more respect of athletes' rights:
"With the intention of defending the general interests of its members, the CPA has been following, with a great deal of attention, the declarations, affirmations, and apparent reports in the press in the last few days concerning the revelations divulged by the newspaper L'Equipe on the subject of research carried out on the B samples of the '99 Tour de France.
"From this perspective, the CPA deplores the fact that a leak of confidential information occurred in France, sparking a controversy based on data that should have remained in the context of medical confidentiality and strictly scientific research.
"The riders and the CPA have always supported and continue to support the fight against doping, but they cannot accept this type of situation that seriously damages their interests, their credibility, as well as the image of cycling in general. As soon as the situation has been clarified, they reserve the right to commence possible actions with the aim of establishing their integrity.
"In future, the riders and the CPA will continue to collaborate with the UCI to ensure that progress is made in the anti-doping campaign, without all the polemic and external interference.
"In the meantime, the riders and the CPA feel they have been treated unfairly, and are waiting for such a time as responsibilities have been officially and clearly defined to ask the UCI to implement and apply measures to strengthen medical confidentiality in anti-doping controls."
