Daily Dope
by Jen See on Dec 28, 2008 1:04 PM EST
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Confessions are good for the soul. Leonardo Piepoli confessed to using CERA during the 2008 Tour de France. He becomes the third of the Scandalous Five to do so. "I committed an error, and it is right that I pay. In a difficult moment, I followed the advice of someone who evidently did not want the best for me," Piepoli said in a brief press statement. "The principal responsibility remains with me, and it is right that I pay," concluded the climber from Pugliese. CONI has recommended a two year suspension for the former team-mate of Riccardo Riccò. — Source, Tuttobiciweb.it.
Meanwhile in Spain, El Pais reports that Moises Dueñas has confessed his use of CERA to Spanish judicial authorities. Spain recently passed a law criminalizing sports doping, and Dueñas is currently under investigation in connection with his positive test at the 2008 Tour de France. No word yet on what, if any penalties, Dueñas might receive. — Source, Tuttobiciweb.it.
In other doping news, the mystery of Volodymyr Bileka's disappearance from racing is now solved. Bileka left his team, Silence-Lotto, before the 2008 Giro d'Italia, citing personal reasons. It turns out that the "personal reasons" included a positive doping control. Bileka tested positive in April for EPO. Bileka is a long-time friend and room-mate of Jaroslav Popovych, who also rode for Silence-Lotto this past season. It's been a rough year for room-mates (Piepoli-Riccò, Kohl-Schumacher), but Popovych has never failed a control. Though his name appeared on a list in the wallet of Dr. Fuentes, no further evidence ever surfaced linking the Ukrainian to the Spanish doping doc. Bileka faces a two year suspension. Popovych will ride for Astana this season, after Bruyneel's team bought him out of his contract with Silence-Lotto. No word yet on what, if anything, Silence-Lotto knew about the Bileka case. — Source, Radsport-news.com.
American cyclocrosser Jonathan Page may miss the upcoming World Championship race in Holland. Page received notice on 19 December that he had missed a doping control at the Koksijde World Cup in November. Page crashed out of the race after two laps, breaking his bike. In the confusion, neither Page nor his wife checked the list of those called for doping control. The officials did not notify Page directly that he needed to report to doping control. Explained Page, who rides for Planet Bike, "I’m not a doper. I just didn’t remember to check. It’s my fault I know but I could be facing a pretty stiff penalty for that. I’ve done everything I can now and it’s up to the USADA people to decide if they believe me or not. I’m hoping…" The missed test could result in a two year suspension for the American, whose website includes the motto, "Work Hard. Ride Clean." — Source, Cyclocross Magazine.
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Bileka
Why did it take more than 6 months to reveal this?
*Lotto surely knew about it?
The Leukeman’s “having sex before tested” story, doesn’t look too good for the team, uh?
Does SL have anykind of AD-program?
"A missed test could lead to a two year suspension", ...?
for Jonthan Page?
Really?
Are the rules different for road and cyclocross racing? Didn’t Rasmussen miss two or three before it became a problem?
Plus apparently, he has blood test results from a doctor visit after the race, which he crashed out of.
Let’s hope he can race at the Worlds!
Racing for Victory and Free Beer!
a very similar situation
occurred to Jason Sager (pro-mtber) and another rider a couple of years ago and they wound up being suspended.
It sounds as it won't be that serious
but I think the situations were different. Ras wasn’t where he should be according to his whereabouts for an out of competition-test. Page was notified (or perhaps not) that he had to report for a test after a race and then failed to show up. The latter would be more serious as it could be interpreted as fleeing the test. If the facts in the Velonews story are correct it sounds unlikely that it will result in more than a warning since he appears to have been available if anyone had bothered to look for him.
Carlos Sastre - Tour de France winner - Born From Jets
But can you get a two year ban for missing one test?
I’m struggling to think of any examples of missing test type penalties from the past but it seems a little harsh to me. Certainly in athletics you’d have to miss more than one.
definitely different situations..
As you stated The Chicken wasn’t where he was supposed to be nor was he where he said he was for out of comp testing. I thought it was in house testing he skipped on, as opposed to UCI testing (I’m sure someone knows for sure on this). Page was tapped for in comp testing, but after his crash, didn’t look at the UCI postings for the event. His wife admits being his backup. She was concerned about his well being after the crash, and also did not check the control lists. Apparently these guys have a system by which everyone tries to look out for one another and they try to contact racers who are on the lists. I appears to have failed in this case.
by Christopher See on Dec 29, 2008 3:03 AM EST up reply actions
I will be livid if it's anything more than a warning
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."
Hey Drew...
…Get ready to be livid. Missing a control – for any reason – is serious business. There are no excuses.
by Chief Commissaire on Dec 28, 2008 8:32 PM EST up reply actions
I suspect you are right
It’s a post-race control. The rules are pretty strict on this issue. USADA has some discretion, but I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t result in a suspension.
More
over at CN, including differing reactions from Sven Nys and Lars Boom.
Nys:
UCI-leader Sven Nys felt very sorry for Page but said he had to be punished. “On the road it happens more easily and I was repeatedly told that one cannot just ride homeward after abandoning a race. Allowing this–although it is very sad for Page–would encourage others to benefit from this example,” Nys said.
Boom:
“As a rider you’re always worried that you’re making a mistake. In The Netherlands there has a been a similar case where a young rider crashed, headed homeward and thus didn’t know about a control; I think he wasn’t punished for that,” Boom said. “It’s the same thing with the whereabouts. You always have to worry that you will be at the place where you have written you would be,” the multi-talented Dutchman said to Cyclingnews.
Google is my domestique.
Well, those quotes just made me sick
I guess Page will be done then, no Worlds this year, and if he’s been quoted correctly… he’s finished… retiring.
scary and upsetting
i’m a big cynic, but it’s just hard for me to believe that Page did anything wrong other than bugging out early. This is really said if our best cyclocrosser has to end his career this way, under a gray cloud.
He won't need to retire.
He’s only 32.
‘Cross racers are very competitive into their late 30’s and even some in their 40’s.
economic realities
How long do you put the rest of life on hold for glory and not much cash? I guess the wife gets a say, and if it was her screw up, in part (though the bit about the runners also not finding him is upsetting, too) I guess she might cut him another year of slack, if that’s part of the equation. And he can heal up, hope for a 6 month suspension, and come back next season, after getting over this season’s disappointment. Seems that’s about the best we can hope for.
As for the rules applying, hard core, to crash situations? Maybe they are so strict because some teams would be unscrupulous enough to have juiced “hares” who lead a crazy pace and wreak havoc, and then gently crash out before the end, all to the benefit of a teammate. Seems less likely in cross, but eh, who knows. (Rule of thumb: if I thought of a good way to cheat the system, I’m not the only one.)
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