AN IRISHWOMAN who formerly worked for the cycling team of Lance Armstrong has revealed that the team flushed $25,000 of doping down a toilet, and then dumped its contents in a field, during the 1998 Tour de France which began in Ireland.
Emma O’Reilly worked as a ‘soigneur’ – an assistant responsible for arranging cyclists’ food, clothing, transport as well as administering massages – for the US Postal Service (USPS) team between 1996 and 2000.
Her affidavit to the US Anti-Doping Agency – reported on by the Irish Times this morning – reveals frustrations among some of the team’s riders in 1997 (not including Armstrong at the time).
The team’s riders believed their then-doctor was not supplying them with enough legitimate recovery products to help them recover from particularly tough events.
However, she remembers “being aware that some riders on the team were on doping programs in 1997″, adding: “Everyone knew what was happening but I never had a conversation with with a rider in which the doping program was openly discussed”.
I did not discuss the doping programme with any of the staff members during the 1997 season, but in April of that year I did observe [an unnamed doctor] as he prepared syringes that were to be administered to the riders during the Circuit de la Sarthe [an early-season short race in France].I recall that [the doctor] used a syringe to pull a substance out of a glass vial but do not remember the name or appearance of the substance because I had made a deliberate choice to avoid all conversations about, and involvement with, the doping activities on the team.
That season, she recalled, was the first time USPS had entered the Tour de France. All nine of its riders completed the tour, with one mechanic from another team telling O’Reilly: “You’ve got a good doctor”. The implication, she says, was that the doctor was not only supplying recovery products but banned performance enhancers.
Lance joins USPS as Le Tour comes to Dublin
The following year, 1998, was when Lance Armstrong signed for USPS – making his comeback in professional cycling shortly after beating cancer that had spread to his brain, lungs, abdomen and testicles.
It was also the year in which the Tour de France included two stages in Dublin, and a road stage between Enniscorthy and Cork. The Tour began in Dublin on July 11, though Armstrong – who was only beginning his comeback after his battle with cancer – did not participate in that year’s Tour.
One or two months previously, US cyclist George Hincapie – a member of the team – learned that O’Reilly was travelling to Belgium and asked her to pick up a package from another unnamed individual.
Upon collection she was told the package included testosterone – which “gives a rider enough energy to finish a sprint” – and that there were other prohibited substances used to regulate a cyclist’s temperature during a race.
She then travelled back to Ireland, and made arrangements to meet the USPS team when they arrived on a ferry from Belgium ahead of the beginning of the Tour de France.
The ferry was scheduled to arrive at the port after midnight, so I was surprised when customs agents showed up to meet the ferry to carry out searches of the team’s vehicles. I convinced the customs agents to leave by explaining that they would have a riot on their hands if they tried to search the trucks at 2:00am and that any search they felt was necessary could just as easily occur in the morning.
That morning word got out that Festina rider Willy Voet had been arrested while trying to carry doping products in to France from Belgium. That arrest prompted major public outcry, many police raids, and ultimately led to so many doping accusations that the 1998 Tour has since been referred to as the ‘Tour du Dopage’.
O’Reilly reported that the team doctor, Dr Pedro Celaya, was “frantic” about these developments, and remained so until the decision was taken to dump the team’s entire stock of doping products after the second time trial. By this stage the tour had left Ireland.
‘Doping products probably don’t make good fertiliser’
By this time a USPS camper van was parked in a large field close to the course at Meyrignac-l’Église, where the second time trial stage was beginning.
[An unnamed woman] who was working as a host for the US Postal Service team told me that $25,000 worth of doping products were flushed down the toilet of the team bus, and discharged into the field.[The woman's partner, a team mechanic,] told her that Dr Celaya was terrified and wanted all of the doping products to be removed from the bus in case it was searched by the French police.
I remember saying to one of the other staff members that $25,000 worth of doping products probably does not make very good fertiliser, and that the team should come back to the field in a few years to check out the grass.
The affidavit reveals, however, that a single Thermos flask was overlooked during this dump and was kept in a fridge for the remainder of the Tour. When O’Reilly shook this flask, she “could hear vials rattling inside of it”. When she finally mentioned it to another member of staff the following month, during a separate tour, that person’s face “went pale”. The following day the Thermos had been removed.
Celaya stepped down as team doctor at the end of that season, moving to the ONCE team. He was played by Luis Garcia del Moral.
The affidavit continues, and sees O’Reilly recall being asked by Lance Armstrong to dump a package which he did not want to dispose of at his team hotel.
“From Lance’s explanation and the shape and feel of the package I assumed that the package contained syringes that had been used by Lance during the Tour of the Netherlands,” an event that had just concluded.
“If they had been used to administer legitimate recovery products then there is no reason they could not have been disposed of by a doctor or trainer at the team hotel.”
A promotion – on one condition – and a cross-border journey
The following year O’Reilly was made head soigneur, a position she accepted on the explicit condition that “it would not require me to become involved in the team’s doping program.” This was an accepted condition of her promotion.
That May, during a pre-season training session in the French Pyrenees, Armstrong asked O’Reilly to drive to the team base in Valencia, Spain “to collect something from the team doctor”. He requested that O’Reilly’s then-boyfriend not be told about the purpose of her trip, though she told him anyway.
They stayed in one of two houses in the suburb of Piles which were rented by USPS. While she was there, packing things for the team, team director Johan Bruynell came to the house and “discretely [sic] handed me a small pill bottle” containing “about twenty small white tablets”.
These were brought back across the French border without incident, and was dropped off to Armstrong in a McDonald’s car park in Nice.
When Lance reached my vehicle I discretely handed him the pill bottle so that Kristin or anybody else who happened to be observing our interaction would not be able to tell that a handoff that occurred. [...]To this day, Lance and I have never discussed the trip to Spain, the pills, or what the pills were for.
A month later, during a race in France, O’Reilly was giving Armstrong a massage when he mentioned having a low level of hematocrit (the volume of red blood cells in the blood). This would be problematic because red blood cells are necessary to carry oxygen around the body.
When I asked him what he was going to do about his low hematocrit, Lance just laughed and said, “You know, Emma. What everybody does.” I understood Lance’s response to mean that he intended to use EPO in order to raise his hematocrit levels.
A syringe, a bruise, a positive test, and a ‘saddle sore’
Three weeks later, and just days before the start of that year’s Tour de France, Armstrong asked O’Reilly if he could borrow her makeup to cover a bruise in his left arm. He said this bruise had been caused by a syringe. O’Reilly would not let him use her own make-up, but bought a variety of concealers for him to use.
The ruse worked – the bruising was not spotted by doctors doing a pre-Tour medical exam.
A few days later, Armstrong tested positive for a corticosteroid. There was “no sense of panic” about this on the part of the USPS team until they received word that reporters from the French newspaper Le Monde were going to break the story.
O’Reilly was giving Armstrong a massage when he was talking to two unnamed others and came up with an explanation for a positive sample. They agreed to claim that Armstrong was suffering from saddle sores and needed a corticosteroid cream for this.
The affidavit says a backdated prescription was needed for this story, and one was obtained from Dr del Moral, the new team doctor.
It was clear to me after the meeting that Lance’s positive sample was not caused by the medical treatment of a saddle sore, and that the only reason he obtained a prescription was to excuse his improper use of a prohibited substance.Lance acknowledged that I had been present for a significant moment in his cycling career when he told me, “Now, Emma, you enough to bring me down.”
Armstrong won his first Tour de France that month. It was the first of Armstrong’s seven consecutive victories on Le Tour.
That season saw O’Reilly’s relationship with team director Bruynell break down, and she only worked on the events in the 2000 season where Bruynell was absent – meaning she missed the 2000 Tour de France and other major events.
She quit USPS entirely at the end of the 2000 season, and has not worked in cycling since then. She is now a self-employed massage therapist based in Manchester, England.
Why are they playing anthems for club football? I’d understand the fuss if he had been picked to play for England but it is a bit silly playing anthema for club games.
In fairness, West Brom were playing a game on American soil so the hosts probably thought it was a nice touch to play their country’s anthem. If an Irish club were ever to do the same we’d be complimentary. And how would you feel if an English player playing for an Irish club (yet again) felt compelled to make a political statement? James McClean just can’t help himself. He might be delighted with all the pats on the back from his mates in the Bogside but he looks like a misguided fool to many. The funny thing is that he was born in 1989, the lad doesn’t have a clue about the troubles. He couldn’t suck it up just once and not look for attention which he knew well would come his way.
It’s just Britain. They honestly play God save the Queen at every opportunity, I heard it being played on family fortunes ffs
If they played the anthem in Premier League matches, it would help get Irish fans to support the League of Ireland!
Ha ha! I doubt they’d bat an eyelid though!
I remember meeting a pal of mine in Cork City in the late 90′s. He lived in a Blackpool an area where there would have been plenty of republican sympathy at the time. It was all Ireland semi final day and I tried to get him to come in to town with me to watch the game.
No luck though, that monumental event, the Charity Shield was also on. My abiding memory was saying good luck to him as he joined the locals in the packed Quinlan’s Bar in Blackpool. The doors were open and the TV was on full blast and “God Save the Queen” blared out over the northside of Cork City. I don’t think anyone noticed, they certainly weren’t bothered.
Meanwhile I struggled to find a bar showing the All Ireland semi final! Cork weren’t playing but still. This belief that the world revolves around Man U, Liverpool etc is ingrained in the irish DNA now. I’d say if the English Premier League insisted on a pause to play God Save the Queen every 5 minutes they couldn’t rid themselves of their “Irish” fans.
Did u not have a TV at home?
Chances are also Keane and Irwin were involved in that game if it was late 90s and considering Cork weren’t playing in GAA match that might be the reason why..
It would make no difference if the were involved or not. The Irish connection is being exposed as an excuse now that it doesn’t exist any more at the top clubs.
If Man U fielded 11 English men against another club with 11 Irish men, who would the Irish Man U fan shout for?? Man U all the way, the Irish factor barely registers.
You were in North Cork in the late 90s Roy Keane was captain of Man Utd that makes a big difference..
Irish players turn and face the flag in the Aviva during Amhrann na Bhfiann, are the opposition expected to as well? I’ve seen teams in Croke Park not face the tricolour, no outrage? Head down and eyes closed is a mark of respect, just not the traditional one. I’m not McClean’s biggest fan, but this is a ridiculous storm in a teacup.
you don’t seem to get it Rob. the Americans played the National Anthem of the country where WBA are from. McLean plays for WBA. The examples you are quoting are when members of the opposition don’t respect the Anthem. a completely different thing altogether.
My point is that they’re not disrespecting the anthem, it’s not their anthem so they politely acknowledge it rather than facing the flag and belting it out. McClean did the same thing.
playing the anthem was very strange, the world is too full of yes men, I don’t agree with disagreement for the sake of it but clearly he feels strongly about it and nobody should be forced to respect any anthem if they don’t want to
I do see where he’s coming from but he could make it less obvious. Maybe face the flag but keep his head down.
He shouldn’t play for English club really I mean I agree with and Understand James’s reasons but it’s keep popping up at him.. Also if some English player was playing in Ireland and doing the same we wouldn’t want him here.. Finally what i would say is why are they having the national anthem played before friendly games especially since most EPL teams are made up of foreigners..
I’m genuinely confused about this one – so can I ask all those who feel strongly that he was right to do something which he must have known some would find disrespectful – if that is how you feel about a nation, how can you live, earn, bring up kids etc there? It’s not like he wouldn’t have a significant need of other options.
As an EU citizen he is free to work wherever he wishes in Europe and maintain his own national identity without the need to apply for or meet the conditions for UK citizenship. There is no reason why he should be expected to stand to attention to the UK national anthem while at work. Why force your anthem on someone who doesnt want to be a citizen of your country?
Ok thanks – but he doesn’t have to become citizen. And I agree no
One should have to listen to the anthem
Of the country you work in every day. The question is though, as you say, he can choose to live anywhere, but why choose to live in a country you have no respect for?
I understood (after his letter) his poppy views and don’t agree that people should have to wear any political symbol. . But Like I said I genuinely struggle with this one.
What are talking about? Just because you dont want to face a flag that doesnt represent you and stand to attention for an anthem that means nothing to you doesnt mean you dont respect that that country. Why should he have to be force fed the anthem if he isnt British.
I lived in England for a while and I didn’t and still don’t respect the anthem or the royal family, they are an anachronistic affront to modern meritocracy. plenty of my English friends think the same. they are an inbred pack of self preserving magpies, who got rid of their German name in WW 1 and did a bunk during world war 2. I wouldn’t have respected the apartheid era south African anthem either for example
Augustus I don’t fully understand your query either, so you think everyone who works in England should agree with the concept of royalty and sing out the royal anthem? if McLean wanted to make a decent living out of soccer he was actually very limited in where he could go. the continental leagues don’t value strong running wingers of McLean’s ilk. and Ireland doesn’t have sufficient full time football. besides England is a good country to do well in but that still doesn’t mean that a lot of atrocities weren’t perpetrated against McLean’s community in the name of the queen
God save our James McClean/Long live our James McClean/God save McClean/Send us victorious/His tricks are glorious/Long to score goals for us/God save McClean.”
The guy is under contract to play football not to turn and face a flag.
It’s probably done and dusted now -Pulis doesn’t take much guff from his players
I wonder would he make a fool of us if we got England in a qualifier. Even the Poles stood for the German anthem at the world cup.
If he had just stood there like the rest of his team-mates and not done anything out of the ordinary then absolutely no one would have noticed anything different. It wouldn’t be an issue. No one asked him to clap or cheer for it.
I understand where he’s coming from given his background, etc, but plenty of Irish sportspeople from a nationalist background have had to stand for that anthem over the years. What makes him so special?
Be interesting if he played in a FA cup final what would he do if William was shaking the players hands.. I can’t see him ever playing in one anyway will never be in a team good enough to get a chance..
Also we do expect unionists to respect Amhrain na bhfiain when they play for Ireland at home in the rugby (and would be disgusted if they took steps to show they did not respect it).
I don’t expect unionists to do anything. sure didn’t we have to come up with a pc anthem for them anyway that is truly terrible. Ulster unionists routinely have stood away from the rest of the team and refused to acknowledge amhrain na bhfiain throughout the years
Maybe he should think of plying his trade in another country get away from the bullshit that surrounds the poppy fascists and that craic and it may actually improve his game to play in one of Europe’s top league if a team wanted to sign him.
Eh he’s shite! Wouldn’t get a look in in any of Europe’s top leagues. Be realistic here!
Black guys in his team lived in English citys when they faced bombing from the ira don’t hear them bringing up the past? Is it only white people he has a problem with
What you waffling on about there sonny?
What a bizarre conclusion to come to.
McClean has his views and beliefs. The footballing world are aware of these and should respect them. Fair play to a lad who stands for what he believes.
He’s is right to stand up for what he believes in. He was brought up in the height of the troubles in Derry and more than likely he has seen family members and friends killed by the British. He doesn’t have to face any flag if he doesn’t want to, be it irish, English or otherwise.
no he doesn’t
James is a martyr to the cause. Why he needs to do this though is only for him to decide. What he has ended up doing though is entering a political arena when really he is only a footballer. Maybe he should change his profession to politics. Unfortunately this may put his career in serious jeopardy and this act of defiance will have absolutely no impact on anyone but himself. So why bother. I do see his logic with the wearing of the poppy and would support him on this one however standing or not for a national anthem doesn’t make sense. Maybe he could turn his back on the Bosnia anthem in support of szebrenica next time the Republic play them or turn his back on the German flag after their contribution to the Second World War. Where do you stop? My suggestion is look after yourself James. There are many out there very willing to exploit your every move.