Zirbel: Waiting is the Hardest Part
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Tue January 05 2010
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Posted Jan 4, 2010
- 10,135
by VeloNews.com
December 28, 2009.
By Brian Holcombe
Tom Zirbel announced Sunday that he had tested positive for
dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) following the USA Cycling
Professional Individual Time Trial Championships in August.
The 2009 National Racing Calendar champion proclaimed his
innocence and asked that his “B” sample be tested.
“The U.S. pro TT was a major objective of mine this season,
but I would never compromise my integrity for any bike
race,” Zirbel said.
On Monday, Zirbel discussed his situation with Brian
Holcombe.
VeloNews: Take me through the last four months.
Tom Zirbel: Everything was par for the course until mid-
November when I got the word back (of the positive “A”
sample). I didn’t change my preparation; I didn’t do
anything different than I’d been doing leading up to U.S.
pro, Tour of Missouri and worlds.
VN: How many times were you tested in 2009?
TZ: I’ve been tested 20-something times this year. I was
tested eight days before the positive test and three days
after, both negative.
VN: I imagine that the test eight days before was in
competition at Tour of Utah.
TZ: Yep, Tour of Utah time trial. The test three days after
was out of competition. They showed up at my door the day
after I got back from U.S. pro, which I’m kind of thankful
for now because it was another negative test, although it
is pretty annoying when they show up at your door at 6 a.m.
VN: What about other tests during the month before or after
the positive test?
TZ: I had a blood test the morning after my worlds time
trial. Beyond that, I can’t remember any other ones at the
moment.
VN: Did anything about the testing at nationals appear
abnormal?
TZ: It was the most dehydrated I’ve ever been for a test. I
could speculate about that, but we’ll just save that for
another time.
VN: You received the notification in mid-November from the
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. What was your reaction?
TZ: I was freaking out a little bit. I went through a
pretty large range of emotions —pretty typical, I think. I
started to shake and panic and then tried to deal with it
the best I can. That’s where I’ve been ever since.
VN: Have you ever knowingly used DHEA?
TZ: No.
VN: There is already speculation that the positive test may
be due to tainted supplements. Can you address that
speculation at this point?
TZ: No.
VN: Who are you working with during the “B” sample analysis?
TZ: I’ve been in contact with Dr. Max Testa and Dr. Andy
Phillips, who is my former chemistry professor at (the
University of Colorado). He’s been a huge help in helping
me understand the chemistry, what I’m up against and what
we can do. He’s actually been my biggest supporter and help
thus far. There have been a couple of other people that
I’ve solicited for help and they’ve done what they can to
help out with information and ideas.
VN: How are you working with Dr. Testa?
TZ: He’s been writing me training programs for the last
year and a half, so I’ve done testing there and he knows my
body and he knows my personality. He believes that the test
is either flawed or that something got into my body without
my knowing. He has a lot of experience with helping
athletes and nutrition, supplements and everything, so he’s
been helping me with ideas of where it could come from and
what tests I should get and things of that nature.
VN: What kind of testing are you pursuing?
TZ: I’m trying to find out what my normal values are for
things like this. We want to be thorough and knock out
every variable so that we can find out where it came from.
VN: Where was the “B” sample opened?
TZ: The Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in
Salt Lake City on the campus of the University of Utah.
VN: You were there.
TZ: Yes.
VN: Did you have anyone from your camp present with you at
the lab?
TZ: I hired Paul Scott to accompany me to make sure
everything was done according to protocol. And it was. They
do a good job there. I didn’t expect them not to. I have to
feel like I played a part in the whole thing instead of
sitting at home, waiting.
VN: Are you continuing to work with Scott?
TZ: I may work with him again. I need to figure out what
I’m up against. I’m not doing anything until USADA gets
back with the “B” sample. I wasn’t even going to do a press
release, but I had no idea it was going to take four-plus
weeks to get the results back.
VN: Have you been in contact with USADA and do you have a
timeframe for when you expect the “B” sample to come back?
TZ: Yes. They are working hard and they assured me that
they’re working hard to get it to me as soon as possible.
That’s all the information that they give me.
VN: I imagine that the trip to Salt Lake City was not the
way you had envisioned returning to the chemistry lab.
TZ: No, but it did reignite a flame that had been
extinguished long ago. I do have a passion for chemistry
and that was the one part that out of everything that I
thought was kind of cool, but I would rather it be on my
own terms.
VN: Tell me about the relationship with the Garmin-
Transitions folks.
TZ: I’ve been straightforward and open about everything
from the get-go with both teams (Garmin-Transitions and
Bissell Pro Cycling). I’ve been keeping them in the loop on
what’s going on. (Jonathan) Vaughters has been helpful and
supportive and he put me in contact with a few people that
helped me out.
I understand their whole campaign — they need a clean
slate. That’s what they’re selling. It doesn’t surprise me
in the least that they want to separate themselves from me.
I don’t take it personally. That being said, I don’t know
what would happen if the “B” sample comes back negative or
if I’m cleared of this. I haven’t spoken with anyone for
the last couple weeks, so I don’t know where I stand or
what’s going on or if there is any relationship at this
point.
VN: That being said, when you last spoke with them, what
was the understanding that you took away from that
conversation regarding your status?
TZ: I think that (Vaughters) understands the situation. The
more familiar you are with DHEA and other illegal drugs,
you know that DHEA is not something that anyone with half a
brain would take, getting tested as much as I do. I think
he understands the situation, but at the same time, his
hands are tied. He can’t have anyone associated with that.
People don’t do due diligence and try to understand the
situation – they see a positive doping test and they see
blood transfusions and EPO and everything else; it’s all
lumped together.
VN: Have you talked to any of the riders in the Garmin-
Transitions team?
TZ: No.
VN: What about your Bissell teammates?
TZ: I didn’t disclose any of this to my teammates, just my
boss. Since last night, I’ve already been receiving
encouragement from people, which has been really helpful.
At this point, it’s really all I can ask for. I don’t
expect people that don’t know me to vouch for me. I’m
getting support from the people that do know me.
VN: Let’s say that the “B” sample returns positive. What
course of action will you follow in that instance?
TZ: Well, I’ll try to prove that it was taken without my
knowing and try to get the suspension reduced. It’s been
done before. I think I’d still face a suspension, but if I
can get it reduced, I can come back from one year. Two
years, I’m not sure. I’d have trouble coming back mentally.
That changes things and I might have to start thinking
about life after cycling.
VN: You are well prepared for that life away from cycling.
Do you have any thoughts on that life?
TZ: I would probably get my teaching certification and
teach high school science. That’s probably my plan A at
this point. I would still need a competitive outlet. There
are plenty of things out there that I still want to do, so
that wouldn’t be too much of a problem. And I don’t mean
just competing against other people. I have a lot of things
that I want to do. As far as making money it would probably
teaching at the high school level, but that’s subject to
change.
VN: What are those other things you want to do?
TZ: I just bought climbing shoes. I’ve never climbed
before. There are a lot of hikes I want to do. Triathlons,
I’ve never done that and it looks appealing.
VN: You were home for the holidays. Tell me about the
support you’re receiving from family.
TZ: That’s been what’s sustaining me, both my friends and
family. They haven’t questioned for a second what’s going
on, taking what I say as the absolute truth. That’s been
helpful. It’s what I’ve been focusing on. We get pretty
singularly focused in the sport and it’s easy to let it
lead you, but I’ve tried to maintain a level of balance
throughout my career and I think that’s helping me now. I
do have incredible support from friends and family that
I’ve drawn upon since day one of my cycling career and
that’s what is getting me through this right now.
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