By Duncan Mackay

Lance Armstrong Tour of Switzerland 2001April 16 - A letter has been sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by International Cycling Union (UCI) President Pat McQuaid claiming to prove Lance Armstrong did not test positive for the blood boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO) at the Tour of Switzerland, although at least two of his samples were "highly suspicious".


It has been widely alleged that Armstrong tested positive for EPO during the Tour of Switzerland in 2001 but, with the help of the UCI and McQuaid's predecessor, Hein Verbruggen, that it had been covered-up. 

The results from the laboratory in Lausanne are part of a five-page letter McQuaid sent last week to WADA director general David Howman, 3 Wire Sports reported. 

In the UCI letter, McQuaid claims the documents themselves "finally puts pay to the completely untrue allegations" of a positive 2001 test and "any subsequent cover-up by the UCI".

Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, both former Armstrong team-mates, provided United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) with affidavits claiming he had arranged for the positive test during the Tour of Switzerland to be taken care of. 

Landis alleged Armstrong told him in 2002 he and team leader Johan Bruyneel "flew to the UCI headquarters and made a financial agreement to keep the positive test hidden".

A year after the alleged cover-up Armstrong donated offer $100,000 (£65,000/€76,000) to help the "development" of cycling, which Verbruggen and McQuaid have always denied was a bribe.

It is this which has dogged McQuaid and Verbruggen since the Armstrong controversy blew-up, leading to him being banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. 

McQuaid asks Howman in his letter that the UCI would be "very grateful" if WADA or USADA would make a public statement "confirming the information in this letter," keeping in mind the "great damage" done to UCI's reputation "by these false and scurrilous allegations."

The July 6 test results from the June 19 sample, with the French notation for “strong suspicion” of EPO usage, triggering further testingTest result from Lance Armstrong sample, with the French notation for “strong suspicion” of EPO usage

Armstrong was tested five times during the 2001 Tour of Switzerland - on June 19, 20, 26, 27 and 28, according to the letter, with three of them including EPO tests. 

"As you can see every analysis result for Lance Armstrong is reported by the lab as being negative," said UCI letter, according to 3 Wire Sports.

But two of the EPO tests carried the note "strong suspicion of the presence of EPO, the positivity criteria are not all met" as the percentage averaged 75.1, which was the Lausanne lab  as being "highly suspicious".

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