The mystery pill in Tyler Hamilton's hand at the 1996 Philly USPRO

October 17 update: Yesterday, I received an interesting photo from one of our viewers, Joesph S. Smith, who has been taking bike racing photos on the east coast of the United States for the last 18 years. He suspected it was a "picture of Tyler Hamilton's cortizone red pill in hand at the Philly race that Postal won" but that likely isn't the pill he's holding.

U.S. Postal Service only won the USPRO in Philly once, so the photo must be from 1996. Eddy Gragus won that year for his biggest career win. Ironically, the next year Gragus joined a team called Oil-Me Pro Cycling. No joke.

In Tyler Hamilton's USADA's affidavit he states in paragraph #24:

For the first two years [1995-1996] of my professional career and the first two months of my third season I raced paniagua [Spanish for bread and water] without chemical assistance

and paragraph #25

However, after the Tour of Valencia which took place in late February 1997 Dr. Celaya offered me a testosterone capsule to assist my recovery. The capsule was small, red colored, egg shaped pill filled with a liquid testosterone known as "andriol." Dr. Celaya said, "this is not doping, this is for your health". However, I knew it was breaking the rules.

Prentice Steffen, the ex-doctor for US Postal was let go at the end of 1996 for not providing performance enhancing drugs to riders that requested them.

Since Tyler's carrying the pill around so openly after the race, it's probably something benign like ibuprofen. What's the Spanish word for Bread+Water+Advil ;-). Any guesses on what it may be? Comment below. — Steve.

More on the Lance Armstrong doping story...
USADA Case Against Lance Armstrong and the Fall Out