PARIS -- A French inquiry into sports doping has uncovered proof that 1998 Tour de France champion Marco Pantani and runner-up Jan Ullrich used a banned blood booster to fuel their performances. Frances senate, after a five-month investigation focused on fighting sports doping, released a report Wednesday that confirms what many riders have long said: use of the banned substance EPO was rife in cycling in the late 1990s, before a test for the drug had been developed. Pantani was suspended in 1999 from the Giro after failing a random blood test, and his career was damaged by several doping investigations. He died in 2004 at 34 of an accidental drug overdose. Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner, has admitted to blood doping and last year was stripped of his third-place finish in the 2005 Tour. The 1998 Tour de France was notable for the major scandal that emerged with the discovery of widespread doping on the French Festina team. The subsequent police crackdown led to seven of the original 21 teams either withdrawing or being ejected from the Tour. Other star riders whose positive doping tests were disclosed by the senate report Wednesday include double stage winner Mario Cipollini of Italy and Laurent Jalabert of France. Kevin Livingston, an American who finished 17th in that years Tour, also tested positive for EPO, according to documents included in the senate report. Third-place finisher, American Bobby Julich, last year admitted to his own EPO use during the 1998 Tour. In 1999, Lance Armstrong won the first of his seven straight titles, which he was stripped of this year after admitting to using banned substances for all of those victories. Senators took pains to point out that the 1998 Tour de France disclosures represented only a few pages of the 800-page report released Wednesday, which mainly focused on establishing the size of the sports doping problem and identifying ways of improving anti-doping measures. The senate inquiry heard from 138 athletes, drug testers and officials from 18 sports, including rugby and soccer. The report comprises 60 proposals for improving anti-doping measures, including establishing "truth and reconciliation commissions" within each sport; making sure that all sporting events taking place in France fall under the watch of French anti-doping authorities; and testing for a wider range of illicit substances. Senators also propose taking disciplinary power away from sports federations and giving it to the French anti-doping body AFLD. The positive tests disclosed in the senate report were uncovered via retrospective testing in 2004 and 2005, by French anti-doping authorities seeking to perfect their test for EPO. The results had since been stored without the identities of the riders being released. Senator Jean-Jacques Lozach, one of the reports authors, said retrospective testing is one of the ways authorities can stay ahead of cheating riders. "Given the performance of Chris Froome, the winner of the 2013 Tour de France, there were doubts expressed and suspicions raised. In light of todays controls these suspicions are not legitimate or justified," Lozach said. "Who knows if in three or five years these doubts wont be justified or legitimized by retrospective controls." Brian Cookson, the head of British Cycling who is challenging Pat McQuaid for the presidency of the sports governing body UCI in September elections, called the senate report "a terrible indictment of the people responsible, and those with the most responsibility for the culture within the sport are the UCI." In a statement, Cookson pledged to implement a fully independent investigation into doping in cycling. "We owe it to those who chose to ride dope-free and to the fans to understand the mistakes of the past and make sure they are not repeated," Cookson said. Another former French pro whose positive doping test emerged Wednesday said senators risked tarring a cleaner new generation of cyclists with the disclosure of 15-year-old doping revelations. "Im thinking of Thibaut Pinot, who finished 10th in the Tour at 22, or Romain Bardet," said Jacky Durand, winner of one stage of the 1998 Tour as well as the prize for most combative rider. Durand, now a cycling commentator on Eurosport, said that in his day, "we needed to salt the soup, as the older riders said." "Our sport is much cleaner today, I want people to understand that," Durand said. China NFL Jerseys Authentic . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. http://www.cheapjerseysreal.com/ . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Cheap Jerseys . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . PETERSBURG, Fla.TORONTO -- Brandon Morrows season is effectively over after the Toronto Blue Jays starter was diagnosed with a nerve injury in his right forearm. Morrow has an entrapped radial nerve that will keep him from throwing for the next six weeks. Renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews made the diagnosis, which the team announced Thursday. "He was feeling better, but he wasnt making a whole lot of progress," manager John Gibbons said. "They recommended six weeks off, and when you look at six weeks, how much time is left? But the thinking is that they want him, hopefully when that six weeks is up, he starts getting on the mound so that when the year is over hes at least thrown from the mound doing something. So he goes in the off-season knowing where hes at and feeling good about it, anyway." Morrow went 2-3 with a 5.63 ERA in 10 starts before leaving the Blue Jays game May 28 after two innings. Several MRIs were taken on the right-handers sore arm, but all that doctors found was inflammation, according to general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Because of that uncertainty, Anthopoulos said Wednesday afternoon that he wasnt very optimistic about Morrows status. "I dont know enough about the severity," Anthopoulos said. "I just know that its not safe for him to go out there." Morrow had been throwing side sessions while rehabbing in Dunedin, Fla., but Andrews prescribed six weeks off. That would take the 28-year-old to September, when it would be difficult for him to get ramped back up for big-league action. "After six weeks you figure its got to be better, you would hope," Gibbons said. "But Im no doctor." The Blue Jays might noot know for sure about Morrows future until spring training when he faces live hitters again, but they hope hell be able to test things out in the fall.dddddddddddd "If he throws after six weeks and hes feeling good and its all behind him and he gets on the mound, I mean it wouldnt be actual game competition but hed be airing it out," Gibbons said. "Youd have a better idea, anyway." Anthopoulos also said he likes the flexibility afforded the Blue Jays by Brett Lawries ability to play second and third base. But for the majority of at least the short-term future, Lawrie will be a corner infielder. Gibbons stopped short of saying the Lawrie at second base experiment was over for good, but he penciled the 23-year-old in at third base again for Thursdays series opener against the Houston Astros and plans on keeping him there. "We always have a right to change our mind," Gibbons said. "Its not definite where hes going to be only (at third base), but well see how that plays out." Gibbons cited Lawries defensive plays Wednesday night as his reasoning, saying, "Im dumb, Im not stupid. Ive seen him be good, hes always been good." Mark DeRosa might still see some time at third, which would require Lawrie to move over to second. Lawrie is hitting .208 this season -- .215 at third base and .158 at second. According to Gibbons, Lawrie is OK with moving back and forth. "He said, Ill play anywhere, whatever the team needs. That was his answer," Gibbons said. "I said, We dont want to get into the habit of moving you around, but I think it helps our flexibility and who knows what it might address down the road." Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '