Tommeke to challenge TdF exclusion

by CycleGirl on May 16, 2009 10:34 PM EDT

Interesting news coming out of Belgium :

The Tour de France doesn't want Tom Boonen, but the Quick Step rider is willing to go to court to force the race to accept him. The team, however, has said that it assumes Boonen would not start in the Tour.

Boonen recently tested positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition control.

"We will file a complaint before the court in Paris," Boonen's attorney, Luc Deleu told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. He said that his client has not yet heard anything official from the Tour organizers.

"Cocaine use outside of competition is not doping, no matter how you look at it," Deleu said. "If he is excluded then Boonen would be denied his right to work, based on an arbitrary decision by the Tour organiser ASO."

Courtesy of Cyclingnews.com

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Which means...

…that ASO is also denying me my rights to start in the Tour. I see you in court, ASO! Be vevy afwaid!

Bork, bork, bork!

by TheFigurehead on May 17, 2009 3:53 AM EDT reply actions

Um, Tommeke, the UCI may be banning you from racing at this time so challenging the Tour banishment is redundant.

Mon coeur appartient à les forçats de la route.

by Josenka on May 17, 2009 9:44 AM EDT reply actions

Stickin' it to the "man", in the fine tradition of the Landis countersuit

Ah…..yeah. I’m sure that’s going to go over big. Nice goin’ Boom Boom, you really showed THEM!

by Koppenberg34 on May 17, 2009 11:56 AM EDT reply actions

If he wins that battle...

I hope he doesn’t go out and celebrate with a line and some X!

Party on, Tommeke, party on!

Racing for Victory and Free Beer!

by DemonCats on May 17, 2009 11:59 AM EDT reply actions

Good for him!

You never know, he might get day-release from prison.

by Lou... on May 17, 2009 5:20 PM EDT reply actions

meh pbbbbt

If Le ASO doesn’t wish his participation and his own team is accepting of that decree, a French court is going to do what exactly? Then it has to enforce it’s decision…. I thinking the result is unchanged. Le gran non…

by Christopher See on May 17, 2009 8:50 PM EDT reply actions

Doing drugs is wrong

and I’d rather not see him again till he shows signs of understanding this(along with speeding… in a car and just driving in general while drunk).

But on the other hand, the sprinter stages in this year’s TdF are going to be unbearably predictable without him.

by OctaBech on May 18, 2009 11:59 AM EDT reply actions

Totally disagree there...

I’m assuming you are thinking of Cav? Well, he has not dominated the sprinting at the Giro this year…far from it. There are some good sprinters in the tour and some are going very well right now. We can count on a revitalized McEwen, Thor, van Hummel, Friere, Etc. Don’t count these guys out. Cav has shown he can be beaten. Granted, I think Cav is a huge favorite…but I am never one to annoint a rider until they have actually done it. maybe I’m crazy, but I think the green jersey this year is going to be a great race to follow!!!

by TRDean on May 18, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope you are right

But Cav does look incredibly strong and he now master the small hills too. Apart from Thor’s Viking genes it’s hard to pin point a weakness in Cav’s armor(not only in the legs but also in his head), though I do know that his domanition last year also was due to Thor being sick, Bonen missing and Cadel having “borrowed” McEwen’s team.

by OctaBech on May 18, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

But Tyler Farrar is also looking impressive this year

the only thing wrong so far is the timing, both his and Garmin’s. If they can get their train to deliver him to the 200m mark, rather than the 2k mark then he might have a chance in a head to head.

by Monty. on May 18, 2009 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t know what Farrar did yesterday in the sprint, but his speed when they crossed the line was pretty fast.

Bork, bork, bork!

by TheFigurehead on May 18, 2009 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions

He started from too far back

Farrar isn’t getting on the right wheels – this may be partly his team support, but it may simply be politics. He hasn’t won a big stage yet, once he does, he may not get knocked around quite so much. Anyway, he is sprinting from sixth wheel back (at least) and coming very close to winning. Only a matter of time, there.

by Jen See on May 18, 2009 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions

for sure, the dude has the legs, he just needs the positioning

by sminer on May 18, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't forget Bennati....who WILL be fit!

Adrenalina Italiana!

by Albertina on May 18, 2009 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions

but will he be healthy?

by Jens on May 19, 2009 2:21 AM EDT up reply actions

If the PdC ladies can look after him before hand :-)

"the rest was over 30. And that doesn't mean old and useless, but experienced and with the stamina"

Jens! Voigt, Crit Intl Interview, 2009

by CycleGirl on May 19, 2009 6:00 AM EDT up reply actions

Very truw

i don’t thin kI could bear to see Ciolek win after Ciolek win. Sigh…so predictable.

"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten

by Hons on May 18, 2009 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions

I doubt he'll win, but...

unless someone can present a cogent argument for how an out-of-competition party drug improves performance,I think he should sue. I just can’t get behind the great display of self-righteousness when it is clear that Boonen has not been caught enhancing his performance..

Cocaine use (out of competition) is a criminal affair not a sporting one. I’m not sure how the results were distributed, but as far as I can see, Boonen has broken no sporting rules.

I’ve been a proponent of the ASO using their discretion to exclude people in the past (DiLuca and Saiz) but in this case, I think they are making a foolish decision. I still don’t trust the UCI’s commitment to enforcement, so I think they should be allowed to use their discretion at the event that they own, but I don’t like this choice.

Brooklyn Chewing Gum: Vlaanderens Mooiste

by Koppenberg on May 18, 2009 7:22 PM EDT reply actions

To be clear

bit the UCI and ASO would be discriminating against Boonen with the ‘image’ angle, not sporting or criminal. Not that this makes it any better, but I’m sure that ASO could make the argument that they don’t want a probable stage winner with a recent f%#@ up on the start line. Can you see any publicity regarding Boonen not mentioning his coke problem?

"Never swing a small stick. " Andy Hampsten

by Hons on May 18, 2009 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Very interesting...

It seems as though Tommeke isn’t going for the “I’m truly sorry I got caught for the second (third ?) time. Please let me stay outside and play !”

I agree with some of the posters that legally speaking he has the right to appeal, but it just shows bad judgement on his part IMHO.

by tonyver45 on May 19, 2009 7:55 AM EDT reply actions

I just hope

he doesn’t add bankruptcy to stupidity

or are legal challenges cheaper in Europe?

formerly known as cyclingchallenge

by Willj on May 19, 2009 7:01 PM EDT reply actions

On the one hand...

I suppose there is some legitimate interest in sporting figures keeping up appearances both from the perspective of the team and the organizers. On the other I’m a bit uncomfortable with a policy that involves employers prohibiting individuals from working because of what are essentially private matters. Schools should not be able to suspend teachers because those teachers drive while impaired, for instance. I only worry that keeping the man from plying his trade is just giving in to some kind of puritanical anti- drug crusade.

by Uncle Ted on May 21, 2009 7:58 PM EDT reply actions