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Breaking: Petacchi Suspended, Out of the Tour!

Eurosport is reporting that Italian sprinting behemoth Alessandro Petacchi may receive a one-year ban for excessive levels of salbutamol. According to the story, prosecutor Ettore Torri accepted the explanation that Petacchi's overuse of his inhaler, for which he had an exemption, was merely an oversight, but nonetheless recommended punishment. Details forthcoming, but in recent days we've heard some longstanding complaints that the exemptions are too liberal, so perhaps this is a message to riders playing fast-and-loose with doctor's notes.

My two-second take is, this is a middlin bummer for Italian Cycling. I had previously called Petacchi's renaissance at the Giro d'Italia, where he won the points comp, a triumph for the race and tifosi. Not so much... though on the other hand, I suspect a lot of people will view the prosecution of a guy taking too many hits off his inhaler as a bit zealous, and not place Petacchi besides Basso in the Pantheon of the Fallen.

The effects on the Tour will be more noticeable. As Daniele Bennati told CN, other sprinters rely on the Milram train to sort out the final KM and set up everyone's plans for victory, not just Ale-Jet's. Now, either another team will step up and take on the long lead-out role (Quick Step??), or the stages will favor guys who can do higher speeds at the very last second, and who can make sense of chaos. Does that describe anyone we know?

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I'm guessing
it's hard for them to not do anything just days after Jaksches "we dopers really love our asthma cause it gives us carte blanche to shoot up with lots of fun stuff"-comments

by Jens on Jul 4, 2007 1:18 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think that's probably the line of reasoning
and what better time to make the case.  

I'm sure Bella Jorg's comments on Stanga (Milram manager) did not help either.

America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Jul 4, 2007 1:58 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Another victory
for senseless bureaucratism!  Hoorah!

by ghisallo on Jul 4, 2007 1:55 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

bureaucraticism
sorry if I offended any bureaucraticists with my misspelling.  

"Bureaucrats of the world:  Arise!  Let us rise to mediocrity!"

by ghisallo on Jul 4, 2007 2:37 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I don't think...
... this bodes well for Di Luca given the mood CONI appears to be in at the moment.

by Super Guanche on Jul 4, 2007 2:07 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Nope
Petacchi may be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but if they have something on DiLuca, it's going to be ugly. And really, really depressing.
Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!

by Chris... on Jul 4, 2007 2:08 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If Di Luca does go down
we'll have the winners of three of the last four grand tours out for doping. You'd almost begin to think that doping wasn't worth it!

by Super Guanche on Jul 4, 2007 2:24 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Wait a minute
Isn't Zabel still riding for Milram? Can't they do the big train for him, too?

by BDBrian on Jul 4, 2007 2:29 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Is Zabel in?
I hadn't heard an update on his status. I thought he was being shunned.
Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!

by Chris... on Jul 4, 2007 4:33 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Yeah
He's on the list to start in London.

by BDBrian on Jul 4, 2007 4:37 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

H/T to bethie's diary
America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Jul 4, 2007 2:32 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Green jersey to
McEwen, because QS can't get a train together, and Milram will have no reason to after the first time Zabel flats at the flamme rouge.

So much for my Petacchi/McEwen Tour VDS team!

by Softie on Jul 4, 2007 2:53 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

why
did they ban Petacchi but not Piepoli ?

by lucybears on Jul 4, 2007 4:08 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Not starting the Tour
He's waiting for further tests before coming to CONI.
Got a problem? Va fa Napoli!

by Chris... on Jul 4, 2007 4:41 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i wonder
why the team doctor didn't explain to Ale-jet about the maximum amount he could use the inhaler? is he claiming to not know about the 1000 max level? or just that he overdosed on it accidentally? whatever explanation he told CONI apparently was not good enough for them, but I still wonder what he said. I think part of the problem is that they think he might have injected the Salbutamol to get such a high level.

The problem with Salbutamol even with a TUE is that is does have performance enhancing abilities beyond just asthma relief and it can mask other things.

by Lili on Jul 4, 2007 7:01 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Salbutamol, I've got some in my
dresser drawer.

I suffer from both allergies and asthma in early spring. I have a tendency of leaning into the stuff for only a small period of time, especially when the pollen count is up. Once my level conditioning is up going into the summer months, I'll be hard press to notice the difference, in using it, or not using it, when my lungs are clear.

So I've have mixed feelings on his suspension.

by orangekick on Jul 4, 2007 8:00 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

16 milligrams a day.
However the performance enhancing ability of albuterol (salbutamol) is seemingly not limited to strength training. It was shown that the times of users performing endurance exercises significantly improved with the use of albuterol (4). Interestingly these improvements were accomplished without the drug negatively impacting the VO2, respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate or plasma free fatty acid and glycerol concentration of users during the exercise conducted. Rather the plasma lactate and potassium concentrations were altered. This would all bode well for endurance athletes who are looking to improve their athletic output and not negatively impact other areas of their performance capabilities.

by 72andSunny on Jul 4, 2007 10:51 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Well I support the ruling
I mean if the powers that be honestly want to cut down on doping then they HAVE to cut out the:

 "Oops!  I took too much of my TUE?  Well golly I made a mistake and I promise I won't do it again!  And if I do it will be another mistake!"

Sorry that Ale-Jet took the hit but someone had to to get rider's and teams' attentions.

by ursula on Jul 5, 2007 12:45 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

non sequitur
Please explain again why accidental "overdoses" MUST be mercilessly punished?  My little brain doesn't see the connection.

by ghisallo on Jul 5, 2007 10:12 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

'accidents'
'accidental' overdoses must be punished for the same reason that 'accidental' ingestion of PEDs via vitamin supplements must be punished.  Basically, there is no way to evaluate intentions.  All that can be objectively evaluated is the data (blood levels etc).  It's unfortunate that the manner in which this data is collected is brutally flawed but the overall approach is sound.  

by Hons on Jul 5, 2007 1:19 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Wasn't accidental.
That's how.

The doctors and the riders know how much of a medication they are allowed to take.  Pleading ignorance isn't an excuse.

by ursula on Jul 5, 2007 10:39 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Oh that's right
Petacchi isn't a human capable of making mistakes.  I forgot.  

by ghisallo on Jul 5, 2007 12:15 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

sorry, didn't mean to be sarcastic
was trying for a humorous response but I don't think it reads that way.  The point is I have a problem with bureaucratic solutions to human problems.  They don't work because we're not machines.

by ghisallo on Jul 5, 2007 12:31 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

The problem
is that it becomes hard to discern who is working the system and who actually made a mistake. how do you tell the accidents from the "accidents"
Coup De Pot Rouleurs

by Clydesdale on Jul 5, 2007 1:21 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

They could start by
only allowing a small number of UCI -authorized doctors to sign off on TUEs. As I understand it every Tom, Dick and Eufemiano can sign a paper and they are good to go.

by Jens on Jul 5, 2007 1:51 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

No kidding
why, when team doctors are being outted left right and center, is a doctors note worth the paper it's written on?

by Hons on Jul 5, 2007 4:27 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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