Women Pro Cycling Champions & Doping

[SnappyPix]

Following all the hoo-ha re the alleged doping in the TDF, I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of or read of doping allegations/findings in women's professional cycling?
To my knowledge (which doesn't account for much), doping has always been something that's dogged men's professional cycling.
Does anyone know differently?

[Eden]

This is the only case I've ever heard about -Genevieve Jeanson, a Canadian, it doesn't necessarily mean its the only one, but at least its the only one that's recieved a lot of publicity lately.

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/5254.0.html

It's a shame - she decided to give up and retire was better than fighting the charges.

[Nanci]

http://www.slate.com/id/2110902/

Found this when I was looking for info on Nina Kraft (won Ironman Kona 2004, DQ'd for doping.)

Slate does an EXCELLENT podcast, BTW.

[Crankin]

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to watch the last stage of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic (circuit race) because my former exchange student was racing in it. Now this is not the Tour, but there were several pro teams there and Lance rode in this race a couple of times in the 90s. When we arrived, the women's pro/1 field was finishing. The winner was a woman (forgive me, I don't remember her name) who was the NZ champion. She was so far ahead, she was about to lap the rest of the field. We heard her coach on the race radio telling her not to, that it would be "bad PR." After Richard finished his race we were talking about it; he said, "Robyn, are you crazy? She's on drugs!" And I had thought she was just amazing. We talked to some of the other racers from Richard's team and the consensus was that this woman had been doping for a awhile... It didn't seem to be sour grapes or bad mouthing women, just a general knowledge that she was not clean. So disappointing!

[spokewench]

Cindy Olivari years ago was accused of drug use. This is not a new phenomenon in men's or ladies racing

[alpinerabbit]

The swiss olympic triathlon medalist Brigitte McMahon took Epo...

[DirtDiva]

Robyn - that would be Sarah Ulmer you're talking about. She's been a junior world champion and a world champion on the track. She won gold in the 3000m individual pursuit at the Athens Olympics and set a world record twice in doing so. She was truly at the top of the track world for years before retiring from that and switching to road racing. Surely she'd have been caught by now if she had been doping for years..? Now, maybe I just can't help defending her because she is a NZ hero, but it is quite possible she simply outclassed everyone else there.