Dear Mr McQuaid,
I write on behalf of all the Schlecklanders to ask you to expedite the enquiry into Frankie's adverse finding which occurred during the Tour last month.
You will remember that he tested positive for a diuretic: not a banned substance, but a substance that gives cause for concern, and he immediately withdrew from the Tour to save you embarrassment, even though under your rules, he was not compelled to do so.
We are concerned that you are going to keep him dangling on a string for 18 months or more, as you did for Alberto Contador. In fact, we are very concerned, as we know that Mr Contador is one of your pets, whereas Frankie is not, so he might be even worse treated (if you'll excuse the grammar) than Contador.
What was that? Contador is not one of your pets? Of course he is, you found a banned substance in his tests, not once but over four days, and you told him to carry on racing. And when the news was leaked - oh, how cross you must have been about that! - you still didn't ban him until WADA and CAS forced you to, leaving us all to struggle with this ridiculous situation where he lost several months-worth of results, impacting on everyone else who took part in every single one of those races.
At least Frankie has the decency to avoid racing while he is sorting out this matter. And don't forget that by voluntarily avoiding racing, he is losing UCI points (ie devaluing himself for next year) he is losing money in possibly wins and bonuses, he is losing form, he is losing his reputation: it is not a small matter for a rider who is right at his peak. Last year he came 3rd in the Tour, may I remind you, his best result to date, which could be taken to indicate that these are his "best" pro years: and now you are going to spoil what should be his prime racing time, if you don't get off your backside and get this issue sorted out quickly.
Not to mention the fallout in his personal life: his wife, his child, his family, his friends, all now doing their damned best to be supportive and to ignore that tiny, tiny voice saying "but what if...?" Luxembourg is a tiny country, and he is very well-known there, which must be extremely uncomfortable for him on a daily basis. And I hardly need mention the effect this must be having on his younger brother Andy Schleck, three times podium placed on the Tour, and (legally) once the winner.
You know what is going to happen next: Frankie's own federation is of course going to say "accidental ingestion, all charges dropped, cleared to race" and you at the UCI are of course going to say "whoa, hold on, biased, let's have an investigation and a ban" so for heaven's sake, get together with the Lux federation NOW and work it out.
And for god's sake DO SOMETHING about the issue of contamination of food supplements.
Coug
And the Schlecklanders
I totally underscribe this petition.
ReplyDeleteBarbara.
(from a town at the south border of Amsterdam)
Progress, of a sort, this morning... the Lux Anti-Doping lot, ALAD (shouldn't that be LADA - Lux Anti Doping Association? Guess it must be Agencie Lux Anti-Dopage or something) have sent Frankie's case to their disciplinary committee.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cyclingnews.com/news/luxembourg-doping-agency-sends-schleck-case-to-disciplinary-committee
Unfortunately, we all know what's going to happen now: ALAD will give him at worst a small fine and clearance to race again, and WADA will appeal.
Sigh.
At least we now know that the process has started. Frankie, keep your chin up, we are all behind you!
Coug
You can add me to the list as well..
ReplyDeleteI am afraid that we can be certain that the UCI or WADA will appeal unless Frankie gets suspended by ALAD. Especially now with the allegations towards the UCI by USADA, I don't expect the UCI to let anyone get off. :(
But the most important thing is that they all should get their heads together and make a decision, and that it doesn't take 18 months again..
Inge
Hey Inge, oh, if only they would get together now, and sort something out! The UCI seem to be determined to fight with USADA, I do so hope that this fight does not take up all of their resources, preventing them from dealing with poor Frankie's "low level" issue.
ReplyDeleteCome on UCI! Play fair!
Coug
Hmm... so Jakob is off to Astana: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12644/Fuglsang-signs-three-year-contract-with-Astana.aspx.
ReplyDeleteWhilst it's not really the team I'd like to see him ride on, it's probably better than Radioshack. Now if only the other Leopards could get leave (Frandy, I'm talking about you! And Jensie. And Fabian.)
Bris. Gal
P.s. Hope you're well Coug! :)
Yay! Good for Jakob: I am so pleased that he has sorted something out. Of course, I'd rather see him back at Stinkoff than with Astana, (I can hear Leelu gnashing her teeth from here) but he has signed for three years, which indicates that he is happy with the deal.
ReplyDeleteHe makes the point in that article that he would have liked to go back to Uncle Bjarne, but doesn't want to (again) be way down the pecking order: he wants a chance to be the GC rider, and who can blame him? If he feels that he will get this chance at Astana, well, go for it Jakob, even if their kit isn't quite the right shade of blue to complement your eyes...
Actually it's more the Vino "Unrepentant Doper" aspect of Astana that worries me, but our Jakob is a big boy, and I have total faith in him to refuse all temptations to dope, and to do great things on his natural talent.
And for that matter, before someone else says it, Uncle Bjarne is a self-admitted doper too, in fact he's never actually been punished for his misdemeanours, but somehow we have forgiven him for them. Mind you, he does have eyebrows (unlike Vino, who has none). No hair, but eyebrows. Do eyebrows maketh the man? *quizzical look*
Still no news on the Alpecin new German team, nor on RadioShack collapsing in a heap: all those rumours about the company losing profits, pfff, they date back to February of this year, not exactly recent problems, and although their profits fell in the last quarter of last year, they did still make a whopping profit. Alas for our Leopards, they may not be able to change their spots just yet... we will have to wait a little longer.
I'm fine, thank, btw, and thanks for asking: been very busy, and nothing much to write about - while we wait with bated breath for Frankie to get to the bottom of his adverse finding, it seems a bit mean to write humourous posts about them!
Coug