Former Tour de France champion Bernard Thevenet defends his doping past

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This article was published 10/07/2007 (6977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COMPIEGNE, France (AP) – Two-time Tour de France champion Bernard Thevenet defended himself after Lance Armstrong questioned whether he deserved his yellow jerseys any more than Bjarne Riis.

Thevenet, who has admitted to using steroids when he won Tour titles in’75 and ’77, said doping substances were considered to be healthy supplements when he was racing.

“It was thought that just like riders take vitamins, for example, they should take cortisone and anabolic steroids,” Thevenet, now a Tour official, said Monday in Dunkirk. “It wasn’t to get a boost, but . . . to recuperate.”

In an interview with Sport magazine published last week, Armstrong criticized Tour director Christian Prudhomme for rebuffing’96 champion Riis and saying he “has soiled the yellow jersey.”

“Did anyone ask Bernard Thevenet to return his two yellow jerseys? Did anyone ask the family of Jacques Anquetil to return his five yellow jerseys?” said Armstrong, a seven-time Tour champion who has been dogged by doping allegations which he has denied.

In May, Riis admitted that he had used the banned performance enhancer EPO throughout the’90s – including in his Tour victory.

He said he would return his yellow jersey if asked, and race officials told him he was no longer welcome at the Tour. Riis, who is the director of Team CSC, is not at this year’s race.

Thevenet said it was possible that Armstrong’s statements weren’t translated properly.

“It’s surprising from Armstrong, who is someone who always speaks in a well thought-out way,” said Thevenet, adding that Armstrong may be exaggerating the circumstances surrounding himself and Anquetil.

“He didn’t understand what the situation was at the time,” Thevenet said. “Perhaps there’s a bit of anti-French (sentiment) in there.”

After Thevenet retired, newspapers wrote that he had used doping substances while competing.

“But I think everybody did because in that era it wasn’t just not forbidden, it was recommended,” Thevenet said.

Since then, doctors have discovered that excessive use of such products is dangerous.

“It’s true that when you look at (use of such products) today, you say to yourself, ‘That’s bizarre,”‘ Thevenet said.

Anquetil, who won the Tour in’57 and from’61 to’64, reportedly used amphetamines and was known to fight anti-doping efforts. He died of cancer in’87.