[ISN] Cycling: Hackers are scrutinised over claims of Landis test flaws

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Tue Nov 14 2006 - 22:59:32 PST


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,28910-2453667,00.html

By Jeremy Whittle
The Times  	
November 15, 2006

THE saga surrounding Floyd Landis, the 2006 Tour de France winner, and 
his positive test result for testosterone took a bizarre twist yesterday 
when it emerged that the French authorities are investigating illicit 
accessing of data at the Chtenay-Malabry French national laboratory in 
Paris, where the Americans samples were tested.

Unspecified computer hackers are claimed to have sent communications, 
ostensibly from the laboratory, to the International Olympic Committee, 
the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) 
expressing doubts over the reliability of testing procedures at 
Chtenay-Malabry.

According to LEquipe, the French sports newspaper, an associate of 
Landis has been identified as sending at least one communication to 
world sporting bodies discrediting the testing procedures at the 
laboratory. An official complaint has been lodged with the French police 
department that investigates computer hacking and fraud by Pierre 
Bordry, the president of the French anti-doping agency.

The communications, reportedly written in mediocre French, point out 
what are claimed as repeated errors in testing procedures. Christiane 
Ayotte, the director of the anti-doping laboratory in Montreal, received 
one of the letters electronically. It told me that the French lab 
specialised in repeated errors in antidoping analyses, she said. The 
style was suspect and I was very wary. I warned Wada and my French 
colleagues.

Landis criticised the laboratorys procedures during an appearance on 
French television on Sunday. I cant say that the lab is always a bad 
lab, he said. But I can say that, in this case, they made some mistakes.

The American, who is recovering from hip surgery, dismissed speculation 
that testosterone may have been found in his system as a result of a 
blood transfusion before his decisive stage victory in Morzine. I cant 
defend myself against that because I dont have any information and I 
dont know where this rumour came from, he said.


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