Jeannie Longo's husband accused of buying banned EPO

It's a sad day for cycling and for sport in general when one of France's greatest cyclists is embroiled in a potential doping scandal.

But that's exactly what women's cyclist Jeannie Longo is facing at the moment.

Jeannie Longo (screenshot from BFM TV report)

It all began on Friday when the sports daily L'Équipe reported that Longo faced a possible suspension for having missed a series of random drugs tests by giving the Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage (the French Anti-Doping Agency, AFDL) insufficient information as to her wherereabouts.

The 52-year-old is a sporting phenomenon who just a couple of months ago won her 59th national title and whose exploits over a long career have seen her win 13 world championships and four Olympic medals, including Gold in the 1996 Road Race at the Atlanta Games.

Not surprisingly she is widely considered to be one of the greatest women cyclists of all time and in a survey conducted in August by L'Équipe magazine, the weekly supplement to the sports daily, Longo topped the list as France's favourite practising sports personality.

On Saturday though another report appeared in L'Équipe.

This time it involved Longo's husband and trainer Patrice Ciprelli who, the paper revealed, had apparently bought the banned performance enhancing drug EPO back in 2007.

The accusations were based on evidence supplied to the paper Joseph (Joe) Papp, described in the French media as an "obscure and second rate former professional road racing cyclist from the United States."

Indeed Papp is hardly an angel. He served a two-year suspension after testing positive for testosterone in 2006 and after he retired, appeared as a witness in the case against the former Tour de France winner and fellow countryman Floyd Landis.

In an interview with L'Équipe, Papp said he had sold EPO to Ciprelli but had no direct contact with Longo.

"He (Ciprelli) didn't mention her by name but I figured out the drugs were for her," he told the paper.

"In one email he said he wanted EPO for his wife, stressing all the time that he would pay for it himself and he wanted it delivered to a third party."

The paper also published copies of an alleged email exchange between the two men in which Papp appeared as the intermediary for Ciprelli in his ordering and purchasing of EPO from China.

The accusations have been taken seriously by the governing body for cycling in France, Fédération Française de Cyclisme, FFC.

On Tuesday its president, David Lappartient, announced that Ciprelli was being suspended while an investigation was launched.

"The accusations are ones that cannot be taken lightly and I think that for the sake of the French team it's important to relieve Ciprelli of his duties temporarily," he told BFM TV.

"I cannot comment on the accuracy of the so-called evidence and claims, but it seemed logical to me to take this step especially as the team is due to compete in the World Championships next week."

Those World Championships take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Longo is due to represent France in the time trials...unless the AFDL decides to open an investigation.

Jeannie Longo - a 58th national title for the 52-year-old

What is there left to say about French cyclist Jeannie Longo?

Sporting legend is such an overused expression, but if anyone deserves to be described as such, it's her.

Jeannie Longo (screenshot from BFM TV report)

On Thursday the 52-year-old (let's put that in capitals for those of you who might not have been paying attention; FIFTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD) once again beat women more than half her age to win the French national time trial at Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France.

And as the regional daily La Dépêche du Midi says we're all running out of superlatives to describe her remarkable career.

Thursday's win - her fourth consecutive time trial title - brought her total tally of national road and track crowns to a mind-boggling 58.

Indeed the stats for her career at national, world and Olympic level are staggering.

Alongside those 58 national titles she has also 13 world championships victories to her name and four Olympic medals including one Gold in the 1996 Road Race at the Atlanta Games.

Speaking after Thursday's race Longo told reporters that she hadn't been that confident about being able to hold on to her title.

"It went well, but I wasn’t entirely confident today. I didn’t feel great," the women French journalists affectionately refer to as "Super Jeannie" or, with a degree of reverence in alluding to her age "Super Grannie", told reporters.

"This 58th title gives me immense pleasure and I'll admit to feeling a little nostalgic on the podium because (19)58 was also the year I was born."

So with title number 58 under her belt the question on many people's lips is whether she'll have another bash at the Olympics in London next year.

In Beijing in 2008 she narrowly missed out on a medal after she finished fourth in the Road Time Trial.

And although she's not yet mentioning the word retirement, Longo is hesitant to make any promises about next year.

"I'm not really sure I want the stress of international competition," she told reporters.

"If I were to train for the Olympics it would mean another year of stress...and I have a house to finish building," she continued.

"At this rate, I'll be living in a trailer for goodness know how long."

While the Olympics might remain a question mark in her diary, one more title beckons.

Longo is due to ride in the French national road race on Saturday.

She certainly puts the rest of us to shame.

Jeannie Longo - A French sporting legend turns 50

She's an astounding athlete by any measure - arguably one of the all time greats, and something of a sporting heroine here in France and in the world of cycling.

Today, October 31, Jeannie Longo celebrates her 50th birthday and what better way to pay some sort of tribute to her by reminding everyone of just how extraordinary she is.

You don't believe me? Take a quick look at the career - and you cannot fail to be impressed.

Her glittering and long career has brought with it a slew of medals at national, world and Olympic level - 55 in total.

In short - never an easy thing to do for a an athlete whose career has spanned almost three decades - her first title was at the age of 21 when she became the French road race champion for the first of 15 times.

The most recent was in winning the same event in June, just days after picking up the French national time trial.

Her Olympic career doesn't read too badly either with four medals all together including one gold, two silver and one bronze. The first of those came back in Atlanta in 1996, and she only narrowly missed out on bronze at this year's games in Beijing, finishing seconds shy of the bronze medal in the women's road time trial.

As she celebrates her half century, much of this country's media has been hotfooting it to her home near Grenoble in the French Alps.

She's not the most media-friendly of sportswomen, often appearing taciturn and somewhat aloof when interviewed, but there's no denying the contribution she has made to cycling - and that's something every sports lover here recognises.

Saturday's edition of the French sports daily L'Equipe will be paying tribute to Longo, and has invited her to become only the fourth French sports personality to act as the paper's guest editor for a day, after basketballer Tony Parker (2003) swimmer Laure Manaudou (2006) and soccer international Thierry Henry (2007).

Of course there's always that lingering issue as to when, if ever, she plans to retire.

It's a question she has been asked many times, as she admitted during a lunchtime interview on French public television.

And checking out her website, there's no indication that she's thinking about climbing out of the saddle any time soon, although she has admitted that Beijing was probably her last Olympics.

But her sights are very much set on next year's world championships in Switzerland, even if she remains evasive as to what exactly her plans are.

"Ballet dancers stop in their early forties I believe. I'm not crazy, she told L'Equipe.

" I'm aware there are limits. I find it especially difficult to predict the future in general, and even in my personal life."

In spite of her success and longevity, Longo remains as modest as ever, and turning 50 apparently doesn't really impress her that much.

"What does it change," she said in one of the many interviews published today.

"50 is like 49 only maybe a little sadder. It's not as though it were a national holiday."

And the secret of her longevity? Well apart from the fact that she's an expert on nutrition, fervently supports organic products, and pays attention to what she eats and drinks, there might be something in the genes, with a mother who "was still skiing at the age of 81 and a father still riding his cross country bike at 91."

Bon anniversaire Jeannie.

Jeannie Longo-evity - a cycling phenomenon

She has done it again.

After winning the French national time trial championship for the eighth time on Thursday, the 49-year-old Jeannie Longo ( yes your read correctly Longo is FORTY NINE YEARS OLD) followed it up on Saturday with yet another blistering performance to win the 113km French Road Race Championship.

It's sixth time she has done the double here in France and the win saw her add to an impressive haul of 54 medals in national, world and Olympic competition. And if that weren't enough, not only does Longo excel on the road, she's also a champion on the track.

Next for Longo will be Beijing where she'll be looking once again to add to her tally of four Olympic medals - one gold, two silver and one bronze.

The first of those came in Atlanta way back in 1996. But you have to go even further back - 12 years before to be precise - to mark Longo's first appearance at the Olympics in Los Angeles.

When she lines up alongside her competitors in August, Longo will be competing in her seventh consecutive Games and facing some women who weren't even born when she started her Olympic odyssey!

Put quite simply, the stats speaking for themselves and Jeannie Longo has to be just about the most decorated woman in sport - certainly in cycling.

But while she deservedly receives national recognition back home in France and certainly plaudits within the cycling world, Longo isn't exactly one of the most high profile sportswomen internationally in spite of her success.

Let's hope that changes in Beijing, which should mark the end of her Olympic career. But who knows with this woman? London in 2012 aged 53 perhaps.

There are probably more than a few people out there who would like an insight into the secret of her longevity.

For the moment though what's the betting that the French and a fair few followers of cycling around the world will be sat in front of their television screens in around six weeks' time screaming "go Jeannie go."