Honchar

[Russell]

from Eurosport

Time trial winner Serhiy Honchar is under a legal cloud in an Italian doping investigation, French daily Le Monde reported on Wednesday, the day the Ukrainian lost his yellow jersey. Honchar is accused of "possession, concealment and consumption doping products," during the 2001 Giro D'Italia.

The current T-Mobile rider was recorded discussing use of illegal products while he rode for the Liquigas-Pata team in 2001 the newspaper reported.

The Venetian tribunal at Bassano del Grappa was investigating Honchar and Italy's Davide Rebellin after both men were on a list of riders ex-prosecutor Paola Cameran was set to charge following her investigation into doping in Italy.

Le Monde reprinted transcripts of a June 2, 2001 conversation between Honchar and Liquigas-Pata team doctor Paolo Barro from their Trentin hotel during the Tour of Italy. The conversation was reportedly filmed by the police.

"How do you feel for tomorrow's time trial? What are you missing? A suppository? You know... the hormone... won't last long enough, the time trial is too long, you'll risk starving," the doctor asked Honchar.

"I have some caffeine, some Optalidon [a non-narcotic pain killer] in vials, and then I have... (silence)," the rider replied.

"Contained in what?"

"In flasks..."

"Where did you get it?"

"I went to a friend..."

"You will do well, this is a long time trial," concluded the doctor.

The second team-doctor at Liquigas Giuliano Peruzzi, told the Cameran that the "hormone" Honchar was referencing was actually glucagon, a pancreatic hormone similar to insulin, which is on the list of banned substances.

The Italian cycling federation, which received the prosecutor's report, decided not to bring Honchar before any sporting tribunal.

Cameran then informed former International Cycling Union president Hein Verbruggen during questioning on October 26, 2002 and later told Tour de France director Jean-Marie LeBlanc.

[BdaGhisallo]

There used to be a bermudian rider that rode on the italian AKI team with Gontchar ( as he was then known before the translation of ukranian changed somehow!) and I heard a few stories. Somesuch about him having to stay indoors and away from prying eyes because whatever "treatment" he was then on would make him break out with the most incredible acne! Admittedly it was second hand news but I am not surprised to hear such. When you hear tales of folks taking pot Belge just to get the energy to go partying, nothing surprises anymore.

[Fixed]

roids bro =acne

[Avispa]

....AKI team with Gontchar ( as he was then known before the translation of ukranian changed somehow!)

There is no name change. The problem was that Western journalist kept pronuncing his name "honchar" as "J", instead of "G". So it should be spelled Honchar, but pronounced "Gontchar".... The sound of the H in Slavic languages is G.

As far as the doping goes.... Well, this is why I believe that the real "sport-doping" mafia is in Italy! They have all these findings and these busts and everything seems to evaporate.... I can't stop to remember the days of the Gewiss-Ballan Team with Ferrari at the helm!

I wonder, what is Riis telling Basso now?

[rePhil]

Gonchar wants to clear up spelling
July 08, 2006
Sportsnet

RENNES, France (AP) -- The Tour de France said Saturday it would stick to its spelling of Ukrainian cyclist Serhiy Gonchar's name, even though he said it was wrong.

The T-Mobile rider crushed the pack of competitors and won Saturday's first long time trial at the Tour de France, vaulting his name into media reports around the world.

Because of what he thinks may have been a computer problem, his name was misspelled as Honchar in his passport, when in fact it should be spelled Gonchar.

"It's presented problems in airports and what have you, because my papers didn't match up," he said at the stage winner's press conference in the western city of Rennes, where the seventh stage finished. "So, I had to put an `H' everywhere, but please call me Gonchar with a `G."'

Tour organizers said they would keep to the passport spelling. T-Mobile team spokesman Luuc Eisenga said after the stage that the rider "is fine with Honchar."

[Fat Robert]

gontchar rode for cantina tollo, aki, and vini caldarola...lemme see...ex-russian on small italian teams from 96-2002, then moved up to fassa (junk in the trunk) in 2003

he's about as clean as old bull lee, bro

[William]

he's about as clean as old bull lee, bro


http://www.vu-wien.ac.at/i111/www/ewoms-2005/logo%20red%20bull.jpg

[Russell]

Gonchar's not under investigation in Italy
By Tim Maloney, European Editor

Although Le Monde is generally considered the paper of record in France, yesterday's report naming T-Mobile's former maillot jaune Serguei Gonchar's as still being under investigation by Paola Cameran, the prosecutor of Padova, was not correct. Gonchar's and other riders like Davide Rebellin had been under investigation for alleged evidence of doping collected in 2003 via telephone wiretaps and video surveillance, but Italian authorities closed the inquest in September 2005. The French newspaper reprinted yesterday taped conversations between Gonchar and his Liquigas-Pata team physician Dr.Enrico Lazzaro which allegedly implicated the Ukrainian in the San Remo doping probe from 2001.

T-Mobile spokesman Luuc Eisenga told Eurosport's David Harmon today, "We wouldn't have hired Gonchar's if he was under investigation and we've gotten the news confirmed from Italian authorities that (Gonchar's) was cleared of any wrongdoing in this investigation."