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SPORTS Thursday 14 december 2017
Froome found to have double the legal limit of asthma drug

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN on whether he is a clean nard Hinault and Miguel
AP Sports Writer rider, especially during the Indurain on the list of five-
PARIS (AP) — Chris Froome Tour de France, and has al- time Tour de France cham-
failed a doping test dur- ways denied wrongdoing. pions in July. Lance Arm-
ing the Spanish Vuelta in Salbutamol is a drug that strong won seven titles, but
September and is facing helps expand lung capac- all of them were stripped
a suspension from cycling ity and can be used as a because of doping.
ahead of his attempt to win performance-enhancing Team Sky has been domi-
a record-equaling fifth Tour drug to increase endur- nating the field at the Tour
de France title next year. ance. Commonly market- de France in recent years,
Froome won his fourth Tour ed as Ventolin, salbutamol but has been targeted by
title this year and followed it is classified as a beta-2 doping accusations. Brit-
with a victory at the Vuelta. agonist and WADA allows ain’s anti-doping agency
But Team Sky said Wednes- it to be taken through in- last month closed an inves-
day that Froome, who has halation only, in limited tigation into the team with-
not been suspended, had amounts. out bringing charges. The Britain’s Chris Froome arrives back at his hotel after training in
a concentration of asthma Sky said Froome had to case centered on the con- Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Wednesday Dec. 13, 2017.
drug salbutamol two times take an increased dosage tents of a medical pack- Associated Press
higher than the World Anti- of salbutamol without ex- age dispatched to former missible dose. According to Swiss physiol-
Doping Agency’s permit- ceeding the permissible Tour champion Bradley I take my leadership posi- ogist Raphael Faiss, intense
ted levels. dose after he “experienced Wiggins at a key pre-Tour tion in my sport very serious- effort, fatigue and dehy-
“Analysis indicated the acute asthma symptoms” race in 2011. ly. The UCI is absolutely right dration can affect urine
presence of salbutamol during the final week of the Team Sky was established to examine test results and, concentrations of salbuta-
at a concentration of Vuelta. in 2009 by Dave Brailsford, together with the team, I mol in doping tests.
2,000 nanograms per mil- If found guilty of doping, the man behind Britain’s 14 will provide whatever infor- Quoting a scientific study
liliter (ng/ml), compared the 32-year-old Froome medals at the 2008 Beijing mation it requires.” from 2015, Faiss, a research-
with the WADA threshold could lose his Vuelta title Olympics, with the target The UCI said in a statement er in anti-doping at Laus-
of 1,000 ng/ml,” Team Sky and be suspended for a of producing the country’s that Froome’s “B’’ sample anne University, told The
said . long period. first Tour champion — a confirmed the result, but Associated Press in a tele-
Team Sky said it has been Sprinter Alessandro Petac- feat accomplished by Wig- stressed that “the presence phone interview that “be-
informed by the Interna- chi was suspended for one gins in 2012. Froome, his for- of a specified substance tween 10 and 30 percent”
tional Cycling Union that year for testing positive for mer teammate, has taken such as salbutamol in a of the people tested may
the urine test was taken on salbutamol during the 2007 over since as Britain’s most sample does not result in have readings beyond the
Sept. 7, during the three- Giro d’Italia. successful road rider. the imposition of such man- permitted thresholds when
week Spanish Vuelta. Vuelta organizers said they After successfully defend- datory provisional suspen- inhaling the legal quantity
Froome said the UCI has are waiting for “official ing his Tour de France title sion against the rider.” of salbutamol.
asked him to provide in- conclusions” from the UCI in July, Froome went on to Sky stressed the abnor- Froome said last month
formation about the failed about the case. win the Spanish Vuelta for mal result does not mean that he wants to ride in next
test, which was taken after “The position of La Vuelta’s the first time. Froome has breached an- year’s Giro d’Italia in an at-
Stage 18. organizer is one of extreme “My asthma got worse at ti-doping rules and Brails- tempt to win his third Grand
Froome’s use of asthma caution, as it hopes for the Vuelta so I followed the ford insisted he has the Tour in a row.
medication has been well this issue to be resolved as team doctor’s advice to in- “utmost confidence that A victory at the Italian race
documented, and the Ke- quickly as possible,” they crease my Salbutamol dos- Chris followed the medical would make him the sev-
nyan-born rider has often said in a statement. age,” Froome said. guidance in managing his enth rider to win all three
been spotted using inhalers Froome was expected to “As always, I took the great- asthma symptoms, staying Grand Tours, and only the
in the peloton. He has re- attempt to join cycling est care to ensure that I did within the permissible dose third to hold the three titles
peatedly faced questions greats Eddy Merckx, Ber- not use more than the per- for Salbutamol.” at the same time.q

Horn wins WBO welterweight title defense against Corcoran

By JOHN PYE upset over eight-division ing his win over Pacquiao. weight (140 pounds), and fore he started to find his
AP Sports Writer champion Pacquiao in “There’s always going to wiped out that division.” range in the seventh.
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — front of more than 51,000 be the doubters. All I can Arum said the step up to “It was a bit different this
Jeff Horn followed up his fans in an outdoor after- do is keep winning, that’s the 147-pound division time, I wasn’t the under-
contentious WBO welter- noon fight at nearby Sun- the key — hopefully I can would be another chal- dog for a change. I was
weight title win over Man- corp Stadium in July in the start changing people’s lenge for the unbeaten coming in (as) the cham-
ny Pacquiao with a suc- “Battle of Brisbane” — a minds one by one.” Crawford. pion,” Horn said. “He defi-
cessful first defense against victory that some critics Top Rank promoter Bob “Anybody that says that nitely pushed me. I felt my
Gary Corcoran. Now he’s dismissed as a hometown Arum said he expected to because of Terence’s skill- timing was a bit off, but I
heading to America. decision. soon confirm a Crawford- set that Jeff doesn’t have got him in the end.
The former school teach- Horn, now unbeaten in 19 Horn fight in Las Vegas in a chance is crazy,” Arum “As soon as I started work-
er from Australia won by bouts, is hoping the win April. said. ing off that jab and going
technical knockout in the Wednesday at the smaller “We move on now. Ter- “This is going to be a very first, I managed to break
11th round Wednesday Brisbane Convention Cen- ence Crawford is the man- competitive fight.” him down quite easily af-
when Corcoran’s corner tre sets him up for a fight datory contender,” Arum The early rounds Wednes- ter that.”
threw in the towel with against Terence Crawford said. “Terence Crawford day were close with Two judges had award-
the England-based boxer next year. is one of the best fighters Corcoran continually walk- ed all but one round to
bleeding from a deep cut “Yeah, there is a lot to around. He was a light- ing forward and the pair Horn before the fight was
above his left eye. prove to a lot of the Ameri- weight champion — that’s clinching in close, but Horn stopped, and the other
It was Horn’s first fight since cans,” Horn said, reflect- 135 pounds — then he landed enough punches had given all 10 rounds to
his unanimous decision ing on the criticism follow- became a junior welter- to have a sizable lead be- Horn.q