ASO to Boonen: You Don't Smell Right

Agreed, this seems like a pretty shitty decision, to say the least. I guess they were scared of the “cokehead wins stage” headlines… (Sorry if that sounds trite, just trying to look at it from their point of view. I don’t agree with the decision, I think Boonen should be there.)

I thought that too.. Until the research which said it could be used as middle to camouflage doping use…

is nationalism.

and it even affects less important things like cycling.

In France, Virenque (Mr Festina in tears) is a hero. Moreau a legend, etc. Don’t get me wrong, other countries are no different (Millar a saint in UK; Tyler and Floyd are wronged in the USA, etc).

I dislike blind loyalty, and blind dismissal based solely on nationality/race/sex etc.

In other words ….. nice article

Good rant.

He was kicked out last year for what? The guy was a total dumb ass for getting busted again and expecting a different result. And ranting for a different result on his behalf this time, where does that fall, I don’t know.

Does ASO have the right to exclude anyone they want, for whatever reason? I think this was discussed at length last year with regards to Astana’s exclusion.

Is this, effectively, a private party?

Or, by agreement, are they required to take all Pro Tour teams. The make-up of which is determined by the team.

This is a completely distinct argument. “Can They” v. “Should They”

Of course, I’m a huge Boonen fan, so of course I want to see him ride. On the other hand, at the time I stood up for the ASO when they barred DiLuca in 2004 and unsuccessfully tried to bar Manolo Saiz in 1999.

My opinion is that the TdF belongs to the ASO. Their race, their rules. I think the decision to ban Boonen is stupid, and I hate it, but the choice belongs to the ASO.

Participation in the TdF is the big golden cash cow of the cycling world. Sponsors and stars who get face time on TV during Le Tour get at least as much value for their sponsorship euro then as they do in the rest of the season combined. Thus, all the fighting over the Protour is really fighting over who gets to control invitations to the tour.

In that fight, the UCI and the Protour have not shown themselves to be interested in anything other than getting their hands on the money earned by the ASO’s event. I have grown really tired of hearing doping controls used as an excuse to cover a naked grab for power and money. The race belongs to the ASO and thus the decision on who gets to participate in the race belongs to the ASO. It is their right to make stupid-assed decisions like the one to exclude Boonen.

. In a way I’ll be glad if he’s not there so i don’t have to hear what little reporting there is in swedish media be about a doper (no, they can’t make the distinction) riding the Tour .
Using the image-schtick is nonsense though and beyond hypocritical.

The interesting thing here is that the ASO is basically admitting that he hasn’t done anything wrong. Chris has basically said this above, but I think it’s worthwhile to note that the ASO’s entire case is about “image”:

Boonen’s image and behaviour are imcompatible with the image of the Tour de France and the image that a great champion like him owes it to himself to put across.

I realize that that’s a really ungraceful translation, but I wanted to point out 2 things: first, the word “image” is used 3 times (once as a pronoun, “celle”) – I mean good god, 3 times in a singe sentence? Talk about neurosis. Second, check out the condescension – it is absolutely incredible! I’m thinking about the last bit – “celle qu’un champion exceptionnel comme lui se doit de véhiculer” – “se doit” here is key, can be translated as “owes it to himself,” “it’s his duty,” etc. Come on ASO, no one needs your patronizing. What a load of crap.

Remember last year when Boonen said Cavendish wouldn’t have won all those stages if he’d been there? Well, this was the year for him to back up that statement. I know that personally, the main thing that would have kept my interest up for the flat stages was the prospect of Cavendish vs. Boonen, the battle for the green jersey. Not that Boonen is near Cavendish’s speed these days, but the sniping in the press would have been fun, as would the inevitable “trash-talk” or let’s say trash gestures during the sprints – am I the only one who was looking forward to Cavendish pointing at Boonen as he won, say, his third sprint? Or the reverse? (I don’t really care who wins, I just want the drama.) Anyways, as a business decision, this may turn out to be mighty dumb on the part of the ASO.

boonen career – relegated to spring racer who can no longer sit at the ‘cool table’?

Rant away about the ASO’s decision being stupid and hypocritical and unfair, but Boonen deserves some blame here. We all saw it coming and back then we were saying " Boonen… wtf, you dumbass".

using the weakest reason (image) they are keeping boonen out of the tdf. but really, why do they want him out?

the answer has to be money, or loss of money if he rides. someone with influence (money) doesn’t want boonen in the race.

I’m just talking out of my ass here (as opposed to every other time, yeah right…) but it seems like in the US sports leagues (management) just can’t ban someone or even impose a suspension for crimes etc. The reason is because there are agreements between the players union and the owners/management that guide such things. If management strikes too hard a line, then the unions can successfully overturn the suspension.

So that makes me wonder what rights does the weak-ass riders union has with the races. For that matter what rights do the teams have. Does ASO have the right to go into the inner workings of an accepted team and single out riders? That I wonder about.

I guess this should be its own post, but the UCI has just agreed to suppress the use of earphones for 2 stages of the Tour (14 and 17). source

What ruling body can be more incompetent/inconsistent: ASO or UCI?

Or mayhap ASO will decide to re-invite Tom at the last minute to have attention on Boonen Vs Cavendish rather than, say, the Special One.

Clearly the second part’s my daydreaming.

Unless there’s really going to be an international contest to vote Tom or Valv or Vino or whoever else into the Tour.

Obviously if you’re a Boonen fan, but even then, do you really want to watch him rack up a bunch of eighth place rides? He’s not going to contest for the win in my opinion, and if he’s not winning, he’s sitting up, so he can’t even try to lock up a run at the points jersey.

I think there are at least four sprinters faster then Boonen at the Tour, and the Quickstep train isn’t exactly rolling.

I don’t think he’ll be missed. I love Tom in April, but in 2009 in July, bahh.

What does Mr Spock and Boonen have in common?

ASO has been in a difficult spot ever since the French Sports Minister declared Boonen unwelcome. It’s a big risk for the ASO to defy a member of the government, when it requires government support to put on the race. Anyone who has ever put on a bike race knows that you need the support of the local authorities in order to succeed. The Sports Minister also likely controls budgets for the French cycling Federation – not like the ASO probably cares a huge amount about that, but they probably prefer not to hurt the locals, if they can avoid it. The Socialist Party in France has taken up the anti-doping cause, in part as a worker safety issue, as I understand it.

This is also why the ASO has said that the French Olympic Committee could over-rule them. That is, the ASO is not going to go out on the limb on this one, without the support of the quasi-government org behind them.

Not an easy situation for Quick Step by any means, and I’m not sure there is much possibility that they will change their minds in France.

would they treat a French rider the same way ….

I’m mad, and I don’t want to talk about it any more. Laporte=so not on my Christmas card list.

Cavendish can give him a proper ass kicking.

but ever since they have become pre-determined I couldn’t give less of a shit about them.