Breaking: Boonen Positive?
by Jen See on Jun 9, 2008 7:12 PM EDT
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PrintTuesday, 10 June, Confirmed. The online edition of Velonews confirms the story that Boonen has tested positive for cocaine in an out of competition test conducted three days prior to the Tour of Belgium. Velonews cites confirmation from WADA and the Flemish cycling authorities. The Flemish criminal authorities are investigating the case, but have so far found nothing incriminating, despite searches conducted at Boonen's parent's house. In an odd twist, Boonen may not face sporting sanctions, because cocaine is banned only in competition. There is no ban on using cocaine out of competition currently on the books. Boonen's Quickstep team has not yet commented on the story, though Velonews does report the possible transfer of Boonen to Bweeg, a story that originated at l'equipe.
UCI Spokesman, Enrico Carpani: "It is not a violation of the antidoping code, because caocaine does not represent a prohibited substance in case of a test taken outside competition. There is a time limit for considering a test to be in competition. And if the control comes three days before a race, the control is considered out of competition. If one took cocaine the first day of a race, then, the result would be a positive." Source, tuttobiciweb. Tuttobiciweb also reports that Boonen was interrogated by the criminal authorities last night, but was not detained.
Eric Boyer, President of AIGCP: "This is an athlete at the highest level, a young man confronted by temptations. It is above all a health problem, before it is a sporting problem... Dopage? The response is yes, if he took cocaine for a competition. If not, we are in another domaine. But these things are complicated when takes into account his stature and fame. Source, l'equipe.fr.
The Tour de Suisse has now excluded Boonen from the race, which starts in four days. Source, l'equipe.fr
Monday, 9 June.Het Laatste Nieuws is reporting that Boonen tested positive for cocaine in an out of competition control three days before the Tour of Belgium. According to the story, he was notified by mail last night. A close friend of Boonen's, Tom Vanoppen, was in December accused of possession by the Flemish doping police, and claimed that he received the drugs from Boonen.
HLN is calling this story breaking news, and I have yet to see it elsewhere. I eagerly await further confirmation, or better yet, a denial. Use at your own risk.
Update: According to the story, Boonen also lost his license last week for the second time in recent months after being caught speeding. He was allegedly drunk at the time.
Source, HLN
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Ugh
Well, the Belgian media can get a little hysterical at times, so I’ll wait for confirmation, but this sounds pretty bad. It’s not so much a crime against cycling as it is playboy stupidity, but guess what? The Tour isn’t going to make such a fine distinction. So… green jerseys, anyone?
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 9, 2008 7:23 PM EDT reply actions
This would be awful
news for cycling. Immediately one thinks of Pantani.
ulrich....
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Cocaine is a nasty drug...
... for people that regularly beat their cardiovascular system like it owes them money.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
I was wondering if anyone would catch that!
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
Working with the guys
was always good for laughs. When he died we, mourned at the bar for lunch. :-)
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
"He was a habitual line stepper."
That sht is funny as hell. All time, funny as hell! “I’m just getting started btches.”
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
I can't tell you how many times
they dropped the line – “I’m Rick James, bitch.” Being the only girl with the group was hilarious. I think one of the guys could quote entire episodes. It really was good stuff.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
truly comic genius at work
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
Ugh, is right
I was rather innocently cruising the usual places looking for some good gossip and stumbled on this. Ack. I hope it’s the Belgian press going nutz and they sometimes do, but they’re awfully specific here – three days before tour of belgium, etc – which is why I went ahead and posted it without further confirmation.
So far, no else has picked it up, but it’s also like 3.00 am in Europe right now…
dork
Hoping it’s not true etc.
Somehow, yeah, coke doesn’t seem as bad as performance-enhancing drugs or an underage girlfriend .... sigh.
But what a dork. Can I have his bike?
-Greg
by gregm on Jun 9, 2008 7:31 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
From CN dated January 26, 2008...
Tom Vannoppen confirmed that he had returned a positive test for cocaine, but denied naming Tom Boonen as his dealer. “I tested positive but Tom Boonen has absolutely nothing to do with it,” he told Sporza.be.After he was released from Team Sunweb, “I had a party. I drank and did dumb things. I felt I was no longer a rider. But two days after my dismissal, I was visited by the doping controllers,” explained Vannoppen, who is in Treviso attending the ‘cross world championships.
He vehemently denied having said that Boonen provided him with drugs. “This is a game to put cycling in a bad light,” the 29 year-old said. “Tom and I frequently train together and we will sometimes drink a pint. But there is nothing more. In my questioning the names of thirty riders came up, of course his name was mentioned.”
Het Laatste Nieuws reported that investigators had no search warrant when they arrived at Boonen’s parents’ house earlier this week, but he and his mother allowed them to enter. Hasselt prosecutor Marc Rubens emphasized that “With respect to Boonen, there is no indication that he has anything to do with the matter.”
Article here.
If Boonen’s positive test is true… it sucketh the big one. I almost wrestled with the idea that “well, at least it isn’t a positive for doping”... but seriously… you just don’t do it. Set aside the health and legal aspects of it… it’s right there in black and white with no freakin’ TUE gray area of any sort at all. You play the game; you abide by the rules.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
excellent find
Nice work digging up the Vanoppen thingy – I had a vague recollection of it, but didn’t go back and look for it. LOL, I have every tab open to a different cycling/news site looking for the confirm.
Also remember...
... that someone was spinning rumors of Bettini being a doping dealer before World’s last year… rumors that, when coupled with Bettini insisting on only signing a modified version of the Cyclists Code of Conduct (or whatever it was called) had the UCI jumping up and down about him not starting the race, hence Paolo’s rifle work upon crossing the finish line.
But this doesn’t exactly taste like rumor though does it?
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
that was Sinking Joke
That was Sinkewitz who rumor had it claimed that Bettini provided him with doping products.
This one, meh. I don’t love the Belgian press – they are quick on the draw and sometimes blow it big time. But no, this one isn’t feeling like a rumor to me.
Nope
sounds like an actual news story.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 9, 2008 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions
You see this?
Not good.
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/tom-boonen-loses-drivers-license-again-16867
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
Right
begging the question… why would ANYONE be so fucking stupid? I find it a little hard to believe just yet. Once he retires in 5 or 6 years, he can give motivational speeches and spend his fee on a mountain of cocaine, and it’ll be nobody’s business but his mom’s. I can’t think he would ruin his career right now for partying.
Re. Pantani: does Boonen suffer from depression? At least Pantani was self-medicating, tragically enough.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 9, 2008 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
My thoughts exactly...
... retire… then coke yourself up until you see little Darryl Strawberry’s flying around your fucking eyeballs for all I care, it’s your life not mine so good luck with that. Doing it NOW, at this point of a young man’s carreer, is just a wee bit this side of outlandishly moronic.
That said… we all do stupid shit, even when (or especially when) we’re not supposed to. Please oh please oh please let there be some sort extenuating circumstance that will come forward like “Ricco told me it was just cold medicine”...
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
Si
This is really fucking stupid if true.
However… Street drugs and doping products have a way of getting pretty mixed up in the cycling world. It wouldn’t completely surprise me if it turned out to be true. Not because I’ve ever believed Boonen was doping, but more because it’s in the atmosphere in the sport.
Ack, I’m so hoping this is wrong. I usually don’t hope that my own posts turn out to be false, but this time, yeah, I really really hope this isn’t true.
google translation
Tom Boonen was caught on cocaine. The cyclist ran on May 25 – three days before the Tour of Belgium – during an inspection compete against the lamp. Last night there were planned searches in the homes of his parents in Postel and those of his girlfriend Laurie in Meerhout.
Vanoppen
Boonen was previously associated with cocaine, when the end of december his good friend and cyclo-cross rider Tom Vanoppen by the Flemish dopingcontroleurs on coke was caught. During his interrogation pointed Vanoppen when Boonen as the dealer of his cocaine.
There followed when all searches, including in the parental home in Postel.
Driving licences lost
Only last week played Boonen for the second time in six weeks time lost his licence. Noche he was in his Audi Variant by the police on the side put on the ring around Mol. He rode 180 in a place where you may 90. He had 1.0 promille and therefore too many drunk.
Six weeks earlier ran against Tom Boonen even if the lamp. On Thursday 24 april he rode in Postel 120 per hour in a place where 70 is admitted. Even when his licence was immediately revoked for fourteen days.
That translation gives me hope that this is all just a mis-understanding...
... because this is an Audi Variant…
No way in hell Boonen is driving that thing…
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
well...
he crashed his lambourghini into an electric pole a few months back. maybe that’s he spare. the story then, by the way, was that he was avoiding a cat.
sigh… the pattern here, it isn’t so good, is it.
No... the pattern is not good...
... from the outside this sounds, in all honestly, like time for an intervention. Precisely the sort of thing I would hope a Patron would be involved in.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
variant = station wagon
“variant” is just “station wagon”.
Audi has some pretty bling wagons starting at US$60k, maybe more.
-Greg
Good enough for Gordon Ramsay...
... good enough for Boonen :)
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
Amazingly stupid
It is amazing how stupid people can be. If it was a PED at least there is an excuse, all be it an awful one. But this is just pure stupidity and arrogance. He is a major role model to youngsters the world over, like it or not, and this sort of stuff is way out of line.
by australopithecine on Jun 9, 2008 7:46 PM EDT reply actions
Well in Belgium...
driving and drinking is part of the landscape.
As far as recreational drugs go, he can hand out with me any day!
Although my recreational are grown, not processed.
Racing for Victory and Free Beer!
I have little hope for Stijn...
... using this as his new time-trialing brain bucket…
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
Is the punishment
the same 2 years as for a PED offense?
by australopithecine on Jun 9, 2008 8:08 PM EDT reply actions
In competition use of cocaine is banned
but if he tested positive during an out of competition control, then cocaine is not considered a PED, or at least the is my reading of the WADA banned substance list. Still, it makes Boonen an asshat if this turns out to be a real story and not another Belgian media circle jerk…
Which Italian Pro Tour Team rides the Cannondale SystemSix?
Near as I can tell...
... the UCI adopted the WADA World Anti-Doping Code in 2004 to allow UCI riders to participate in Olympic competition. WADA lists Cocaine as an rule S6 Prohibited Substance: Stimulant. But it specifies it as not being allowed “in competition” so parse away if you will.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
9/10
I was thrown off by the tricky wording of one of the questions.
by australopithecine on Jun 9, 2008 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Well... technically your score doesn't matter...
... if you can claim a therapeutic use exemption for reading.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
Gah!
Noooo! Mark just broke the news to me. My response was wailing that, “It’s all my fault because he’s on my VDS team! Anyone I ever cheer on does this to me. Now Team Zabriske’s Mustache Ride is dooooooomed. Booooonen.”
sigh
Sporza.be
nothing showing up there yet. Though I did learn that Koldo Fernandez is sneller dan Baden Cooke, which is why I picked him for my VDS team.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 9, 2008 8:27 PM EDT reply actions
Sneller is beller...
... or so der sag.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
is this why Lefevere/QuickStep withdrew from AIGCP?
it was in yesterday’s CN, isn’t that the organization that Disco withdrew from when they signed Basso? and Liquigas withdrew from when they signed Basso? as in, Lefevere doesn’t want to have to fire Boonen outright, so he withdraws his team from the organization that might make him do so?
ah...
Now that’s an interesting connection. He did indeed withdraw yesterday and you’re right that it’s the same org as the other two cases you mention. It’s possible there are other reasons, of course, but it would be interesting if this were connected.
A question for the community
Does this strike you in the same way that it would if you’d heard Boonen tested positive for EPO v. 2 or something else similarly obviously aimed at in-competition performance?
To me it says that
If you are willing put mind altering substances into your body, you aren’t that far away from putting PEDs into your body as well.
If I just had one more gear, I...
I don't necessarily agree with that...
... having a mindless evening of unforgivably asinine behavior is a biiiiiig step, in my mind, from being a cheat. I don’t think there’s a correlation. My going and having a beer tonight doesn’t indicate at all my inclination / lack of inclination to buy juice at the gym tomorrow morning. I don’t think an athlete taking what they consider to be a “recreational” drug means that they would take a PED. It just means that they are a nearsighted jackass.
And for the record… in my case it’s a 100% lack of inclination :)
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
You don't have to agree, but it's true
If you are morally corrupt enough to think that doing cocaine is okay, it’s not a big step from that to saying that doing PEDs are okay. Through the years there has been a rather large correlation in the pro ranks with pros using “recreational” drugs (there is no such thing) and PEDs, that’s a fact. Being in the military, I don’t see this as anything but black and white. If you see it as anything other than that, well there’s clearly a problem on your end.
If I just had one more gear, I...
sorry to pop your bubble pal
but NOTHING is black and white
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
zeig heil baby
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
for what it's worth
A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.
Friedrich Nietzsche
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
coca leaf is legal where it's produced
Much of the world does not have the same moral / immoral attitude on drugs that the U.S. does. Sensible/stupid, or Healthy / unhealthy? Yeah, they generally make those distinctions. However, the morality of drug use-as with obesity, sexual excesses (or divergences) and all other issues where pleasure and prudence disagree-is definitely culturally relative. Some cultures value the pursuit of pleasure as a crowning, defining feature of human nature. In the U.S. we only go as far as the “pursuit of happiness,” and a lot of the time, we treat even that as suspect.
Coke was legal-and available-in the US a hundred years ago, or more. (That was back when US and British ships worked together to open up the orient to their Opium imports…back when Asia was a target for import, and before they started growing their own.) Both drugs were unhealthy, but few considered them immoral (except people who also suspected music, dancing, or pillows on chairs). Now, both products are immoral here (according to most) and we want the entire world to realize that RIGHT NOW, because we (historically-speaking) have just realized that. It helps that we’re really, really good at forgetting our own history.
What’s NOT relative is WADA rules. Even serious student athletes normally swear off the drinking and the (legal / tolerated) drugs while training and competing. For a pro to indulge so close to a race suggests either someone out of control, or someone who enjoys gaming the system, or both. That, rather than the fact that “it’s a drug” makes me think that Boonen might be perfectly glad to game the doping controls. The “I walk on water” attitude is why he’s not on my VDS team.
Whoa there SpunOut...
I disagree, strenuously, with your comment.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
and I was just talking today about the positive qualities of PodiumCafe discussions
with our ability to discuss doping without righteousness high among them. I’m well acquainted with the military culture surrounding the use of non-approved drugs. And I personally think it’s a good thing, on the whole. But we’re not talking about the military here. Can we avoid the sharp edges, please?
You're right, we're not talking about the military
We’re talking about role models. Whether he likes it or not, Boonen is a role model and he’s sending out the wrong message. If he doesn’t want that responsibility, than he needs to find a new job. He’s Belgian and in Belgium, cyclists are heroes. Even more than that, he’s a professional representing a team who is representing a sponsor who pays him damn good money. So, whether you all agree with my stance or not, it doesn’t matter. What’s I am saying is right, sugar coated or not. The crap that Boonen is pulling is neither befitting a role model or a professional. Soft stances on this kind of thing are what put cycling in the state that it’s in today.
If I just had one more gear, I...
I agree with you on this SpunOut
No way do I condone TB’s behavior… he is a public figure and a role model and a professional representative of his company. He should not be doing drugs of any sort. It is deplorable and he should be canned for a few years if all this is true.
That said, I don’t think iit is my position to judge his moral standing. Seldom are these things clear cut, hence my comment. I mean you no offense.
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
Fair enough
The only last thing that I will say, and then I will shut up, is that if he tests positive and it’s confirmed, don’t be surprised if we find out somewhere down the road that he indulged in things other than just a little cocaine.
If I just had one more gear, I...
well
Soft stances on this kind of thing are what put cycling in the state that it’s in today.
Perhaps. I’d throw in some blame for the unthinking application of brightline rules, though.
I agree on the role model bit, even with my sympathy for Charles Barkley’s thoughts on the matter.
I am a strongly with Charles Barkley -
“I am not a role model . . . .parents should be role models . . . .”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRYeqGZRo9Q
Athletes are just that; athletes.
They are amazing at the one thing that they do well, which sets them apart and above all of us.
In all else, they are just as fallible as you and I.
They are role models, like it or not
Sometimes you just don’t have a choice in the matter and saying that you are not a role model isn’t a disclaimer. Basically, you’re screwed if you do and screwed if you don’t. So goes the life of a celebrity, you belong to the public.
If I just had one more gear, I...
right you are
Sir Charles can complain, but it don’t change the facts. I started telling my kid who the dopers were years ago. He often ask me if sports celeb. “x” is a doper. Sad to say.
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
That is just not true . . .
. . . and using a slippery slope argument is not supporting your opinion.
In black or white.
In fact it has been recorded for well over 50 years that many athletes are susceptive to drug use when not in competition, particularly to stimulants like cocaine because it simulates the endorphin high they get from winning.
Many of these very same athletes, while in competition are devout in being pure and winning on their merit and not from any form of cheating.
I happen to have known pro athletes from many different sports and that is a fairly consistent belief among them all.
So that's a yes for recreational drugs then?
I’ll mark you down as positive.
If I just had one more gear, I...
Easy guys
Personal moral issues are touchy subjects. Try and steer this back to cycling. This is the internet, we don’t all know each other as well as we think, so don’t get any more personal than you have to. Challenging people like this is headed out of bounds. Thanks.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
didn't like the digs at each other
...this was the first thread where someone’s comments got to me. Feel free to share an opinion in every direction and feel free to defend a thought about anything but no throwing rudeness at each other.
SpunOut, I’m sure you meant the comment above differently but it read very rudely and uncalled for at Ryan_Liles. And that’s just my opinion so feel free to take it or leave it. I don’t think any of us like that here though as we all play pretty well together.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
That would make me physically sick...
This makes me disappointed. You don’t look at a doping positive and say “What the fuck where you thinking”...
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
Oh... and...
... I find one to be eminently forgivable… the other I do not.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
If you are being paid to represent a company or team
You don’t have a choice in what you believe to be acceptable. You are paid to represent yourself in a professional manner. Drinking and driving and using cocaine is not professional in any way, shape, or form. If he worked for me his ass would be toast.
If I just had one more gear, I...
I agree completely
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
That's the story
I don’t think it’s a moral one… the world is full of people who sip from the forbidden chalice, and blady blah. What’s fucking HORRIBLE - if it’s true - is that the star of a sport on the verge of losing its public, it’s reason for existing, thinks he can get away with a little party time. Tom freaking Boonen, who’s hounded by the press like Brad & Angelina, thinks nobody will notice. Boonen, winner of 4 monuments so far, thinks he can have indiscretions and not bring the sport right back to the brink? I agree with the growing consensus here that it’s an incredibly irresponsible thing for a guy with a lot of power to do.
Anyway, I’m saving a post for if and when it’s confirmed. Til then, it’s not true … yet.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Obviously stupid on many levels...
But rec. drug use is, imho, not the same motivation and PED’s. One is partying, illegal yes, but partying. PED’s are an attempt to cheat or defraud. I’m no huge Tommeke fan.
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
Agreed...
... I think the psychology of the two uses is different.
Dr. Crashdan, PhD Psychology from University of DownloadDiploma.com
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
No problem
but that’s not how it’ll be perceived.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Not exactly,
but incredibly stupid all the same! If true it does make you wonder if a little cocaine is OK to him, is a little EPO, or a little something else?
That article...
... sounds like essentially a cleaned up english version of the Babelfish translation above.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
exactly
what it is.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 12:27 AM EDT up reply actions
I was just about to ask the same question
Valv Piti’s form is more important?
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
Very odd choice...
Me, I’d run the Boonen story first. Too bad they couldn’t get confirmation. Still the same HLN article I posted.
LOL, Podium Cafe? Ahead of laykeep :-P
No doubt tomorrow when the European press wakes up, we’ll have more news. Someone else can dawnpatrol that one. I’ll add the updates though, once we have them.
but will be the same notices, you see
newspapers loves especulation
by semprenaroda on Jun 10, 2008 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions
lol, totally :-)
Velonews got it, today, though, and they’re very good with only running when there are confirmed sources. It sometimes puts them behind the curve a bit, but it’s very nice with a story like this. If they run it? It’s probably legit.
Sporza
has an article but it’s just a mirror of the HLN one. So far. Cue shit hitting fan in Brussels in 3… 2…
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 12:51 AM EDT reply actions
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/jun08/jun10news2
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
More at CN now
may be wolverine’s post above. Sounds like a confirmation there and that sponsorship will be a bigger deal than a suspension, which would only occur if the UCI steps in.
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
telling quote:
Is Boonen – winner of two editions of the Paris-Roubaix and Ronde van Vlaanderen, and the 2005 World Championship title – too much of a liability as Team Manager Patrick Lefevere hunts for a new financial supporter? The team and Boonen are meeting today in light of the recent news and more details are expected soon.
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
need a lesson
in how to make the quote stand out….
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Boonen to Bweeg?
Had anyone heard about this? I stumbled upon it while looking for news of the cocaine. Can’t read a word it says, but according to his wiki page, he is negotiating to join Bweeg, and this has been confirmed by Bweeg. Coincidence? Unlikely.
suspension unlikely
“And the International Cycling Union (UCI) confirmed that Boonen would not be facing any sanctions under their rules.
“The UCI will not be requesting that a disciplinary procedure be opened,” a UCI spokesman told AFP. “We have not been informed of this result but if the information is confirmed as it is an out-of-competition control UCI rules like those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) do not have any sanctions for cocaine.”
“
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/boonen-tests-positive-for-cocaine-16930
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
yes, but what about ASO
what were the terms of the “agreement” the teams had to sign in order to ride the Tour? regardless of motivation (ie PED vs. recreational), I’m not convinced that Prudhomme/ASO will look too kindly on Boonen being at their race…
I don't think ASO has
anything against Boonen riding at the Tour if he gets no suspencions…
by Bruce Suomi on Jun 10, 2008 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
yes, but
there are a bunch of current Astana riders not riding the Tour this year who haven’t been suspended by anyone … so just sayin’, ASO doesn’t typically decide these things based on whether there’s an actual suspension…
no decisions
based in reason or logic either.
by australopithecine on Jun 10, 2008 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
very true
But Boonen is a one of the biggest stars in cycling, they have allready thrown the defending Champ out of the race, can they throw the green jersey too (in this case though the have a valid reason…)
That would diminish the Tour this year even more…. IMO, of course.
Not so sure
If I were ASO and I just kicked out Contador, I’d be a little unsure about Boonen.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah...
... that’s what I thought. Cocaine use is only subject to UCI suspension if the positive during competition. So, not even a UCI wrist slap at this point, which is CORRECT, because that’s what the UCI rules state.
That said… I have a feeling the Belgian Police might be taking a wee peak into the live of Mssr. Boonen. And God help us when Prudhomme get’s a mic in front of his face.
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
yes
they are investigating him for possession, and he was questioned.
also, see update above, he’s been dis-invited from the tour de suisse. no reaction just yet from the aso.
WHOA
Disinvited from the Suisse? That puts ASO in a much tougher position, unless some other step takes place that gives them some sort of “it’s been resolved” out.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
agreed,
I’ve not read anywhere yet that he is not welcome to Suisse??
That would be a huge blow for him.
pinocchio smiley
ha! nice typo.
should have been ;) instead of ;--), which would be useful for someone like mcquaid.
never even crossed my mind!
:)
Thanks, I’m just unsecure until I read it written in English, I completely missed your post on this!
Thanks!!!
So this is a serious set back for Boonen….
Bruce, there's a call from Brussels for you on line one
they want to know why you’re oppressing the other EU states.
So what is the rank speculation then for le Tour...
... a Boonen dis-invite? or a full QuickStep dis?
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
tour de suisse
if aso follows the tour de suisse, it will be only tom b how is dis-invited, not the team. tour de suisse specifically said they were not excluding Quickstep and the team is plenty welcome.
i’d guess the aso follows suit, though closed-door negotiations have to be moving fast and furious. also, boonen was to meet tonight (european time) with the qsi management. no word yet on what happened there.
watching the usual sources, of course.
Fuck
I’ve got a lost of VDS points riding on his appearing. How could he do this to me?
"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."
curse of the rujano...
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
You had to bring that up
didn’t you?
You lousy, cork soaking icehole!
"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."
Cat's out of the bag now...
Cycling Weekly: Boonen’s News Causes Dark Mood at Dauphine
Rabobank’s directeur sportif Adri Van Houwelingen, however, preferred to focus on the human side of the story. "Assuming it’s true, I consider it a real personal tragedy. It has nothing to do with the team, they should not be blamed."
AFP: Cyclist Boonen Test Positive for Cocaine
The affair is now part of a judicial investigation as the use of cocaine is illegal in Belgium, but the Flemish Community, in charge of doping controls in the north of the country will not be taking any action against Boonen, explained Tieneke Sonck, a spokesman for the Regional Sports Minster told AFP. “A suspension is foreseen when controls took place during competition but it’s not the case in this affair,” said Sonck. And the International Cycling Union (UCI) confirmed that Boonen would not be facing any sanctions under their rules. “The UCI will not be requesting that a disciplinary procedure be opened,” a UCI spokesman told AFP.
BBC Sport: Boonen Investigated for Cocaine
“Race director Armin Meier has informed the Quick Step team that Boonen has been excluded from the Tour of Switzerland,” said race press officer Kurt Henauer.But he added that the Quick Step team would be allowed to take part. Boonen won the Paris-Roubaix race for the second time in April.
Chronicle Journal: Former world cycling champ Tom Boonen faces cocaine investigation
Inge Delissen, spokeswoman at the prosecutor’s office in the northern city of Turnhout, said her office “had opened an investigation into the suspected possession of cocaine by Tom Boonen.” “An investigating judge has been tasked with a further study” of the case, she added.
General Google News search linked here...
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
Stuey!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I won! I won! I don't have to go to school anymore." -- Eddy Merckx, after winning his first bike race
the rumor mill was right?
Way back whenever that story first appeared about crack-dealing Tom, I don’t think anybody here thought it could be true. Now…
I don’t have a problem with the recreational drug use. I don’t do it myself, but if somebody wants to do it, fine.
I guess it is a bit of a leap to jump from drug user to drug dealer. But we already made the leap from poster boy athelete to drunk/druggie.
Is there any suggestion that he is actually dealing in the stuff
as opposed to occasionally sharing his dope with a friend.
yeah
Seriously, why in the world would one of the most loaded (har) cyclists deal with dealing? That’s a completely different plane of dumbassery.
I think someone took his friend getting it from him
in the last headache and turned it into him dealing it. This stuff is not hard to get if you wanted it and is passed through people right in front of most. At a club in Europe, I would imagine even easier.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
It’s such a fine line between Clever and Stupid- David St. Hubbins
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
So Dan
when you’re up on stage you think of yourself as a preserved moose?
"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."
I think I heard him tell Nigel
“We’ve got Armadillos in our trousers. It’s really quite frightening.”
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
QS will have a press conference tomorrow
where they talk about Boonen’s situation…
No news yet when the conference is taking place.
doubt it
Lefevre ( I’m bad writing names, so sorry for any misspelling) was not born yesterday…. He knows how to handle the press…
Interesting to see if Boonen is there….
oooh... DRAMA!
Methinks boonen has to be there. And he’ll have to play the contrite, I’m so vewy vewy sowwy, I made a horrible mistake card. Of course, he could well deny everything and say the tests are wrong and, and, he couldn’t possibly have, blah blah. If I were in charge of the advising? I’d say admit and ask for forgiveness. It only happened once, a misjudgement, blah blah. If he can summon up a tear or two, that would be helpful. Maybe a promise to seek help, etc. I don’t think the penalties for possession are all that strict in Belgium, but I could be wrong about that, and since he isn’t facing suspension from the UCI, he’d do best to go the admit and apologize route, in my view. But Lef didn’t ask me ;-)
Sometimes... going into rehab...
... actually works too as a side benefit, instead of just stroking the media off :)
When Leipheimer is done mating with his Time Trialing bike... does he bite its head off and eat it?
truly...
sigh… i hope he does this thing right – both with the media and for himself.
not really the story i’d hoped to be following about now.
He is toast
Boonen is not Lyndsay Lohan. Crying, saying he is sorry and going to rehab will mean nothing. People expect celebs to go to rehab, that is what they do, but when it comes to drugs, cycling is not Hollywood and the rules are very different. Race organizers will shun him, QS will fire him… he will be disappeared. They cannot afford to keep him around stinking up the place. And if he tries the Landis approach saying “the test was wrong”, even if that is true, he will be disappeared for good.
Which Italian Pro Tour Team rides the Cannondale SystemSix?
Devil's advocate...
Are we sure that this isn’t going to get quieted down and possibly quickly? Some have gotten animated about it but what if it’s not like that amongst the cycling players? What if they slap a serious warning and try to get this quiet as quickly as possible not wanting any heat going into the Tour? There’s no UCI violation (if I’ve read it all correctly) so ASO can use that if they chose to.
And, if all is said and confirmed, he had to know when he took the test it was in his system right? So he’s should have had a little time to come up with some kind of line. The press conference will be interesting.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Zero tolerance now
Obviously this is just my opinion, and it’s based on me trying to put myself in the shoes of the ASO and the QS management, which is kind of ridiculous really… but here are the factors that lead me to my admitedly harsh conclusion…
1) ASO’s treatment of Astana tells me that they are not going to tolerate anything related to doping, period. They came down like the price of tract homes in suburbia on Astana, which is a now a totally different team, with different management, different staff, different riders, different everything, just to punish them for two years of bad press and to make a statement.
2) QS needs a sponsor. If Boonen lingers and stirs up bad press, then no sponsor will touch them. If he goes away for a while, then the damage may be limited.
3) I am pissed off at Boonen
Which Italian Pro Tour Team rides the Cannondale SystemSix?
I was just putting it out there.
I have a lot of opinions on this but I’m trying to smile and not get bitter.
Assumptions on what will or could happen only cause trouble.
Will say and agree though that Boonen = DumbAss.
Disappointment is an understatement for how I feel.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
That is why we love you Nikki
You are always upbeat and sunny… I, on the other hand, am Captain Sourpants when it comes to this topic… But I rode my bike to work today and I get to ride it home tonight over the Golden Gate Bridge, which is pretty freaking awesome…
Which Italian Pro Tour Team rides the Cannondale SystemSix?
Slightly similar...
I went for a ride when i got home last night and have to say that the sunset was incredible. With all the storms we’ve had, the blues, pinks, etc that were in the sky were worth a photo if I had it on me. Very calming.
"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed."
Yes!
This is a requirement. If he hides behind a lawyer, he’s t-o-a-s-t. As a lawyer, that’s what I’d tell him.
"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 10, 2008 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
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