photo credit @ Twitter
Despite returning a positive test for the banned substance Cortisol, on the eve of the start of this year’s Tour de France, team Astana confirmed today that Lars Boom will indeed start the race.
Last evening, there was every indication that Boom would be expelled from the race, particularly, given Astana’s membership in the independent organization, Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC), which under the circumstances would prohibit a rider from racing unless he had a received a Therapeutic Exemption.
However, Astana’s team director, Alexander Vinokourov confirmed this morning, that Boom would be starting the race, and an official team statement would follow – explaining the Dutch rider’s low Cortisol results. To wit:
From Astana
Astana Pro Team will start the 2015 Tour de France with nine riders, including Dutch cyclist Lars Boom.
After the 3 July receipt of blood tests administered by the UCI on 2 July that showed a low level of cortisol, Astana Pro Team medical staff examined Boom in order to assess the athlete’s health and viability for the 2015 Tour de France start in Utrecht.
As such, a low cortisol level is grounds to stop a rider for a minimum eight days of competition in order to prevent any health risk to the rider according to rules established by the MPCC, of which Astana Pro Team is a member.
Astana Pro Team asked the UCI to allow a replacement rider in place of Boom, and received confirmation from the UCI that as a low cortisol result is no risk to the health of the rider, therefore there are no valid grounds for a late substitution.
Team medical staff have advised that Boom’s low cortisol result is the consequence of a long-standing and well-known application of anti-asthma therapy by the athlete and is not a violation of UCI rules and regulations.
Team medical staff have advised that there is no danger to the rider’s health or safety to start the 2015 Tour de France.
Astana Pro Team medical staff will continue to monitor Boom to assess any potential health risk for the athlete, and will retest the athlete in the next days with independent medical supervision to clarify the origins of the CADF results.
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