Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
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Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
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2006 Tour de France Landis finishes first in race that had heroics, crashes and a drug scandal that rocked the race even before it began. |
PARIS - Thirteen riders tested positive for drugs at the Tour de France this year, and all except winner Floyd Landis had medical certificates allowing them to take banned substances.
Of the 105 riders tested, 60 percent had the certificates, the head of the French Council to Prevent and Combat Doping said Friday. Pierre Bordry said he was concerned by the large number of cyclists who had such medical certificates, which are approved by the sport’s governing body, UCI.
“I find it very surprising that among the number of riders in the Tour de France ... there are so many who suffer from problems that necessitate authorization to take a banned substance,” he told The Associated Press.
“This troubles me,” Bordry added, suggesting medical certificates could be used to cover up doping.
He said his agency could take over approvals of medical certificates for the Tour de France next year from the UCI.
Bordry urged changes to the World Anti-Doping Agency rules, saying the thresholds for some substances were too high.
UCI chief Pat McQuaid defended his organization’s policy on medical waivers, saying it complies with World Anti-Doping Agency practices.
“We follow the WADA rules and the WADA rules allow guys to have (the certificates) for certain things,” McQuaid told the AP. “It’s not particular to cycling.”
Still, he conceded that some riders could be using medical certificates to gain an advantage.
“It may be, but all we can do is follow the rules,” he said. “It’s not about us being strict or lenient.”
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“This is not surprising” because it is the UCI itself which delivers the certificates, he said.
He added that Landis did not have a certificate allowing him to take testosterone.
The American has been under investigation by cycling authorities after testing positive for high levels of testosterone during the race. The Tour de France has said it no longer considers Landis its champion.
Bordry said the positive tests were in three classes of drugs — anabolic steroids, corticosteroids and beta-2 agonists (found in asthma medications).
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
