I really hope this is nothing other than a glitch of analaysis and data, however I fear the worst and I would imagine that Sir Dave will be fuming and embarrased after the stance taken earlier. Sky were going to prove to be the cleanest team and a team who wins clean. fingers crossed
Jonathon Tiernan Locke blood passport iffy? (ToB title for Haas?)
- Thread starter Strathlubnaig
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thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
I think the story did come out in the run up to the election, round about the time the GB team was being clarified.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Cheers, thom, it's probably my memory playing tricks. I only 'remember' the announcement that JTL wouldn't be racing from shortly before the election but nothing from the UCI.
EDIT: JTL's last twitter was on 26 Sept - Was sorry I had to withdraw from the worlds line up, just don't have the form to help the lads there. Good luck to team GB though!
Election on 27 Sept.
thom
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- Location
- The Borough
Ah yes - you're probably right, the UCI didn't say anything themselves but I think there was an inkling of the story through the press.
Two points. The alleged infractions took place while JTL was riding for Endura, and JTL has now entered a stage in the process that no-one has as yet escaped from without a ban.
oldroadman
Veteran
- Location
- Ubique
Correct, the questioned values go back to Endura days, which must be a considerable embarassment to the boss of Endura who put his faith in the team and team management to do things the right way. I hope that the values can be explained and it's all sorted out. Unfortunately there will be some who see the dip in form from 2012 to 2013 as meaning something, and start the mud slinging before any verdict is made public. I believe that the process is UCI tell BC, who tell UK anti-doping, who actually run the investigation. If this is correct then I have complete trust in UKAD, as they have no axe to grind except to find what really happened and deal with it. The sad part is that if found guilty it might be a case where the 4 year ban would apply. End of career for someone close to 30?
I heard JTL's old team manager at Endura on radio 5 live earlier. he stated that no way was JTL a doper (His words) he says the guy is pure class and couldn't or wouldn't do it. I really hope this is the facts, because if not it shines a huge light on Endura
On the brand maybe, but not other riders. None of them:
showed very dramatic improvement between 2011 & 12 as JTL did
won races well above the level they had won previously
saw a dramatic decline in their 2013 performances compared to 2011 or 2012
If there is some naughtiness it is difficult to establish when it may have begun. My recollection of 2011 is that he had a decent start to the season with Rapha Condor Sharp (RCS), won an odd Premier but nothing consistently outstanding compared to many other riders in those races. Stepped up performance levels noticably in Aug/Sept with stage win and second overall at Leon and 5th overall and mountains jersey at Tour of Britain. Winter training then took place while still contracted to Rapha CS. Arrived at first Endura camp in January and blew the whole squad away on the climbs...which is why he went into Tour Med and Haut Var in Feb as team leader. Much stronger than guys he was not riding away from the previous Spring/Summer. Although these improvements were noted with some skepticism at the time, I believe it was attributed to things like greater commitment and training over winter, significant weight loss, longer /different types of climbs and an intention to peak for early races.
Although the rogue test may have been in Sept 2012 his significant physiological improvement came at least 9 months earlier.
thom
____
- Location
- The Borough
Well I'd say the sad part if found guilty was that the chances are he was guilty and as such is/was a cheat.
I'm not sure I'd care too much at that point but until we know more, he has to be allowed to make his case and establish facts.
I'm not sure this reflects too well on Pat, Pat's son (Andrew Macquaid) is JTL's agent... oops!
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
No, exactly. It really stinks. But I'm not sure that the UCI's action was buried for very long, just long enough to stop P McQ getting flak for conflict of interest.
jdtate101
Ex-Fatman
- Location
- Boring Birmingham
Not much to add to what's already been said, except that I hope he's not been a silly billy, but if he has doped then I hope they throw the book at him!
Dusty Bin
Guest
I think Endura's anti-doping policy went something like this:
Team manager - "We have a 'no doping' policy, is that clear to everyone?"
Riders - "Er, yeah, sure.."
I'm sure they were not all charged-up, but believing someone to be clean is clearly a bit different to proving them to be clean.
Pedrosanchezo
Veteran
- Location
- Perthshire, scotland
I've always agreed with the bit in bold but i recall when Horner won the Vuelta the majority of regulars, who hang out in the pro lobby, had him hung out to dry. There is far more reason now to believe JTL has doped. Is it because he is British that we refuse to pass judgment without facts?
Someone in the Vuelta forum cleverly summed it up with "if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck....................". Well in JTL's case it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and they have taken DNA and it turns out it is 99% certain it is a duck.
What excuse, reason or evidence could he possibly produce to disprove and dispel all doubt?
