Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Nice to have presumption of innocence . .

Morning brings this AFP story appearing in today's online L'Équipe. It certainly is reassuring to know the UCI intends to follow procedures before naming names. I certainly hope none of TbV's readers engages in bizarre training regimens. If you do, don't think you can escape the UCI's watchful eyes.

According to information furnished Wednesday by Anne Gripper, anti-doping director for the UCI, six or seven top-level riders who have been suspected of doping were the object of frequent unannounced drug tests. First analyses of some of these tests were not negative.

"We were targeting six or seven riders whom we considered high risk because of their suspicious behavior and because they are expected to do well in the Tour de France," Mme Gripper explained. Several of them have already undergone three or four unannounced tests, while the 2007 UCI antidoping program requires a minimum of one unannounced test per rider per year.

"We had reports which said they trained in strange places and in bizarre manners," she continued.

Several anomalous results are said to have been noted in testing done on the cyclists for a number of weeks. "We are dealing with these results, and not all of them were negative," Mme Gripper explained. "But this will take some time, since we must respect procedures, the analysis of the B sample, before being able to make an announcement."

The UCI anti-doping director estimates that some results should be known before the start of the Tour de France in London, July 7.

11 comments:

cat2bike said...

Gosh Marc, it acutally sounds like they are using some logic. And following their own rules!! My,my, maybe we are learning some lessons.

Theresa

marc said...

We can hope, Theresa. Except they've already leaked that there are riders under suspicion. Do we think their names will remain secret?

Marc

Eightzero said...

Anyone want to take a guess on what lab was used? No need to buy a vowel...

Cheryl from Maryland said...

That would be my concern -- can one believe the anonmalous results for certain labs?

PS - does bizare includes Vino's habit of jumping into icy lakes in the winter?

N.B.O.L. said...

By leaking that there were tests, "and not all of them were negative" and that the riders "are expected to do well in the Tour de France" they have given enough information to almost guarantee that the media will come up with the names shortly. I'm sure that there are phone calls being made to various national governing bodies already asking if they had received notification about any of their athelets so they can compare the "no"s with the "No comment"s.

StevenCX said...

By leaking that there were tests, "and not all of them were negative" and that the riders "are expected to do well in the Tour de France" they have given enough information to almost guarantee that the media will come up with the names shortly.
Right - this doesn't sound like proper procedure to me. Especially the additional detail about 'they trained in strange places and in bizarre manners.' It's almost like saying 'a certain rider who shall remain completely anonymous but whose initials are AV and come from a certain central Asian country'!

cat2bike said...

So, we think they are going to try to peg Vino before the Tour....at "that" lab?
And in Iceland they go for swims in frozen water all winter! But Iceland is not known for it's cyclists.....

Theresa

Unknown said...

read:

suspicious behavior=winning races

Unknown said...

Dick Pound will be happy - they are using his non-analytical positive approach to start with: suspicious behavior and bizarre (different) training and expected to do well. Remains to be seen if they use a reliable lab and what the final results are.

There will be some red faces if the B's are negative, so I don't have great hipes that all the "anonymous" riders will be cleared.

I guess that UCI doesn't care about the domestiques who are fighting for a place on a Toour team and to finish.

Next step for journalists will be to study the list of those who have signed UCI's no PED pledge and compate it to the handicaping for the jerseys. Here comes a wave of speculation and suspicion. Nice to know that the system is protecting the athletes from false accusations.

I wonder if this is part of an effort to get riders to sign the pledge? That would be one way for a rider to minimize press scrutiny.
Pete Crosby

Unknown said...

Bizarre manners?

How about going on rants about "Nazi frogmen" and "violating virgins"?

marc said...

I was wrong about "bizarre manners," mman (though what was actually meant was even weirder). Check out my "A correction and expansion" for the correct translation. Sorry for the error. Though your comment's on the money regardlless.

Marc