February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Mark Jones
Sports held center stage on Ireland’s prime time television last week when Stephen Roche appeared on the "Late Late Show" to respond to allegations linking him to the banned performance-enhancing drug EPO.
The former Tour de France winner and world champion was joined on the show by David Walsh of the Sunday Times, who has written extensively in recent weeks on the allegations that Roche was given the blood-boosting hormone EPO by an Italian doctor, Professor Francesco Conconi, during the last two years of his cycling career. Conconi is currently the subject of a criminal investigation in Italy.
Roche, who has strenuously denied taking any banned substances, and Walsh jousted for a riveting 45 minutes, with Roche appearing to win the support of the live audience. However, he was questioned about an article that had appeared in Ireland on Sunday in which he explained his links with Conconi.
Roche was adamant that when his blood went to Conconi’s laboratory for routine tests, it was manipulated.
"He [Conconi] carried out experiments on the blood using EPO, but not with the athletes’ knowledge," said Roche in Ireland on Sunday.
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But when Walsh argued that it was ridiculous to suggest that EPO would be added to a blood sample outside of the body — "like a farmer who cuts his crops and then adds fertilizer expecting them to grow," as another journalist put it — Roche claimed that Ireland on Sunday had got it wrong.
"That’s what was written in the paper, but I never said that," said Roche. "I said I believe the blood was used for experiments. I never said EPO was added to it."
However, Ireland on Sunday is sticking to its story, saying that the interview with Roche is on tape.
Whatever comes of this latest twist in the Roche saga, one of Ireland’s greatest sportsmen still has a lot explaining to do.
Irwin saying so-long
Although Denis Irwin has reached veteran stage, the Republic of Ireland defender’s decision to quit international soccer has come as a blow to manager Mick McCarthy. The fullback, who has been capped 56 times, will be 35 later this year. He made his announcement last weekend but has pledged to continue his career in the English Premiership with Manchester United.
"I’ve given it a lot of thought and there was no pressure put on me by Manchester," Irwin said. "I’ve had a heavy schedule and now I should be able to spend more time with my wife and children."
As for McCarthy, he expressed his "disappointment," suggesting that no manager could ever have too many good players in his squad.
Irwin’s departure will now give players such as Ian Harte and Stephen Carr the opportunity of an extended run in the international team.
"It’s not like I’m cutting and running from Ireland as Mick has plenty of very good fullbacks to pick from," Irwin said.
Meanwhile, the Cork-born defender is believed to be in the process of negotiating a two-year deal at Manchester that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2002. Irwin confirmed that he talked about his Ireland future with United manager Alex Ferguson.
Sonia unsure about XC worlds
Sonia O’Sullivan is still undecided if she will attempt to win the world cross-country title for the second in time in three years when the championships take place in Portugal in March.
O’Sullivan has already scheduled two track races, one over 5,000 meters and the other over 10,000, in Australia next month.
"The prospect of having another go at the cross-country is attractive, but that depends on how my training goes and how I do in the track races," she said.
The upcoming 10,000-meter race will be O’Sullivan’s most important short-term target as it will take place in the new Olympic stadium in Sydney.
"It will be nice to compete there before the Games, but the real point of the exercise is to get a qualifying time," she said. "At this stage, I’m still learning the 10,000, and while it was good to win my first ever race over the distance at the European championships in Hungary, I’ve still got a lot of homework ahead of me."