Days after the 2010 Candian Under 23 champion Arnaud Papillon admitted doping and was handed a two year ban for EPO use, another rider from the Garneau-Club Chaussures team has also made a public confession of wrongdoing.
Peruvian rider Miguel Agreda has released a similar statement to that issued by Papillon and while he has not yet named the substance in question, it is thought likely to also involve the same banned hormone.
Agreda’s statement appeared on the same website as did his team-mate’s, namely the French language Veloptimum website.
The translated version is as follows:
It is with great regret that I informed my cycling club president and my employer in the late afternoon that I had been suspended by the CCES (Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports) for using prohibited substances, substances which I essentially used in the context of being a competitive cyclist.
I realize now the immense impact of the actions that I undertook for my personal sporting performance, the grief, disappointment and the disgrace caused to the people around me who supported me.
I acted alone and without telling anyone, thereby betraying the ethical rules governing my sport.
I realize now that because of this act, I lose both my reputation as an athlete and the confidence of my teammates. I can hardly find words to explain my behaviour and, as I can not fix the past, it only remains for me to apologize publicly, from the depths of my heart, to my employer who permitted me to practice a sport which is my passion while practicing my profession.
It is with humility and resignation that I accept the sanction of the CCES, which suspended from cycling for two years, as well as the period of suspension imposed by my employer for this serious breach of ethics. I intend to use this time to walk as a man and athlete, with the support offered to me by my employer, despite the harm that I have caused.
How could I tell all who share this passion for cycling that the path to follow to reach the highest step of the podium is not the one that I took?
This confession is perhaps the start of that.
I will not comment further.
Miguel Agreda
The Canadian Cycling Association this week disqualified Papillon from his second place in the under 23 category in June’s national road race championships, as well as the sixth place overall he achieved in the same event. It also acknowledged the two year ban imposed by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. It is highly likely that it will be in the same position with Agreda in the days to come but, for now, it said that it will reserve judgement.
“The Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) has been made aware of a doping confession attributed to a provincial level rider in Quebec named Miguel Agreda,” it stated. “Since the CCA must follow due process in accordance with the Canadian Anti-Doping Program administered by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), we are not in a position to discuss this matter until such time as the CCES confirms this anti-doping violation and renders a decision in respect of a sanction.
“Until such time as the process that protects those rights of any athlete charged with an anti-doping violation is concluded by the CCES and the athlete is duly informed of a decision by the CCES, any other parties that are bound by this process cannot comment on this matter.”
Worryingly, the Canadian Cyclist website states that it has received information from a reliable source that there could potentially be more positives from the same team. This remains to be confirmed, but even if this is not the case, Papillon and Agreda's cases are a major blow to the Garneau squad.