Actovegin Found at the European Champs: Has Anyone Ever Tested Positive For it?

Yea, right. They were taking products that at the time were only approved for veterinarian use, and had yet to be added to the banned substance lists. So technically they were not doped, as Actovegin was not on the banned substance list.

It is funny how many people on this site will argue Postal never doped, but the team admited to the use of Actovegin. I guess it is a matter of symantics; I say these guys doped by using drugs with the explicit purpose of enhancing performance, while others say they didn't dope as they didn't fail any tests.

Link to full text shown below:

http://tsn.sportingnews.com/other/articles/20001217/281451.html

Here is some text from a press release by Mark Gorski, US Postal team manager:

Gorski said in a statement Saturday that the squad's doctor had legal

permission to use and prescribe a drug during July's race that has since

become the subject of an international doping scandal, the Austin

American-Statesman reported Sunday.

Gorski said the French medical control agency - Agence Francaise de Securite

Sanitaire des Produits de Sante - authorized the team doctor to bring

Actovegin into the country for the three-week race.

Funny that in the same press release Gorski says "the French medical control agency -- Agence Francaise de Securite Sanitaire des Produits de Sante -- authorized the team doctor to bring Actovegin into the country for the three-week race" he also says "Since the preposterous rumor continues to fester in the international press, I want to clearly state that none of the nine riders representing the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team at the 2000 Tour de France used Actovegin."

So the more clearly worded message would be as follows.

"We pay money for drugs that we obtained clearance to have and use, but we never use it."