I hope its not true about Frank Schleck

[mondobongo]

I think it would be great if the drug cheat Millar just pissed off out of cycling altogether. Ban him for life they should have, missed an opportunity

Just Millar then Mags? There is far worse boys out there than him.

 

[itisaboutthebike]

Yeah Rockhard Verwonk springs to mind.........spent a year denying it (in the courts) and then confessed.

 

[Noodley]

<whisper this quietly. shhhh> There are rumours starting growing <whisper this quietly. shhh>

<not witch hunting> I could say, but I'd better not <not witch hunting>

Team Columbia rider rumours.....

 

[Chuffy]

Is it bad to hope that, if it's any of the TC riders that it's Big George?

 

[Keith Oates]

What's he done to upset you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chuffy]

What's he done to upset you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh it's nothing personal, he seems like a perfectly nice chap and all that, it's just that it would be amusing to see another key ex-USP/Disco rider nailed.

Other than that I'm just crossing fingers that it's not Cav (assuming that the story is true).

 

[yello]

I'm just crossing fingers that it's not Cav (assuming that the story is true).

I very much doubt it would be. Cav is a one-trick pony. It's a helluva trick mind but none-the-less. Anyone that saw him struggling his way up the merest of inclines (by professional standards) will realise that the lad doesn't juice.

 

[Chuffy]

I very much doubt it would be. Cav is a one-trick pony. It's a helluva trick mind but none-the-less. Anyone that saw him struggling his way up the merest of inclines (by professional standards) will realise that the lad doesn't juice.

I agree entirely with that, but even so I'd be wary of being too complacent.

 

[rich p]

Unfortunately as has been pointed out elsewhere, a life ban would not stand up in human rights law. I read somewhere that the 4 year ban was dropped in the USA some years ago as the cost of a losing litigation would have bankrupted the sports authorities.

 

[Chuffy]

Unfortunately as has been pointed out elsewhere, a life ban would not stand up in human rights law. I read somewhere that the 4 year ban was dropped in the USA some years ago as the cost of a losing litigation would have bankrupted the sports authorities.

How do the IOC get round that then? If the Olympics can ban athletes for life, why not have de-facto life bans from ASO run events?

 

[Chuffy]

Well, if thats seriously the case, lets knock all this drug testing on the head! Honestly, whats the point? If all + tests are going to be challenged in law then it's too expensive to carry on. We may as well invest in better bikes and let them fill their boots (or veins) with whatever they want

I'm off to the chemist

Is there a huge problem with cyclists winning legal appeals against their bans? I'm sure Mr Landis would be interested if there was. Not to mention Mr Hamilton and Mr Rasmussen et al....

ASO have shown that they are willing and able to stop teams from competing in their events, eg Astana. Surely it's not too great a step to say that if a team contains a convicted doper then that team will not be welcome. That would reduce the value of ex-dopers massively, preventing teams from re-signing them after the ban from their home federation expires and be a de-facto life ban, at the highest level of the sport at least.

 

[rich p]

Do the IOC issue life bans? They can't ban anyone from running, say, only from running in their games.

 

[rich p]

I see that WADA are proposing 4 year bans from Jan 09, so it's possible I was talking out of my arse.

 

[Chuffy]

Do the IOC issue life bans? They can't ban anyone from running, say, only from running in their games.

Er, wasn't that the point that I was making?
Athletes caught doping in any competition are banned from the Olympics for life. That's why Millar wasn't in Beijing. My point was that if the IOC can ban people from their event then why can't the organisers of the Grand Tours do the same?

 

[Chuffy]

I see that WADA are proposing 4 year bans from Jan 09, so it's possible I was talking out of my arse.

Barely ten years ago the riders in the Festina case were hit with bans measured in a handful of months. Those bans were subsequently commuted to allow then to ride in the following years Tour. Now we have an generally accepted 2 year standard (unless your home federation is in Kazakstan). Moving to 4 year bans would be both a logical progression and quite close to a life ban, given the brevity of athletic careers.