UCI inconsistency

[Walter]

I just do not understand that the UCI suspends riders "on mere suspicion" yet allows Boonen to ride after three positives for cocaine and no denial on his part of coke use.

Yea...I know the UCI company line about the technicalities of what is out of comp vs. in comp and peds vs. rec drugs (all artificial definitions in the rules crafted by the UCI).

How can you ban a guy on suspicion yet allow someone out there who committed three criminal acts involving illegal drugs with a straight face? What does this do for the public perception of what the UCI is doing and bike racing in general?

[markie]

Maybe, just maybe, the UCI has some common sense and understands that cocaine taken recreationally, not during an event, is not a performance enhancer?

[Walter]

Maybe, just maybe, the UCI has some common sense and understands that cocaine taken recreationally, not during an event, is not a performance enhancer?

I may well agree with you on this as a stand alone point. However, common sense (something the UCI is not often accused of using) also includes not suspending someone on suspicion of drug use. Further, when your program is to stop drug use to, inter alia, preserve the image of cycling, that policy needs to include illegal, albeit recreational, drugs.

Can they square suspending Ale Jet for taking a (claimed) bit too much of a legal ashthma med (with a proper exemption) with allowing coke use (a felony in most jurisdictions) even though arguably not a ped and in a social setting?

An overall policy that is supposed to have a deterrent effect needs to be uniform and consistent in both the rules and their application. Unfortunately the UCI has let some things slide they should not have and killed some flies with a brick.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . but I can't resist grinding the axe. The UCI's emphasis is on doing something about active athletic performance enhancing doping. More than that, they are even more obsessed with maintaining the appearance they are doing something to stop active athletic performance enhancing doping because that's what it;'s going to take to retain and attract team sponsors and ad $$$$$$$$$$$'s.

Plus you have to consider the active political considerations. Even considering his coke problems, Boonen is still likely more popular than Jesus with Benelux region cycling fans right now and a whole lot of them would spend a whole lot of money to go watch him race in the Tour.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ . . . . . . .

BBD

[BdaGhisallo]

Boonen did not break any UCI or WADA rules in regard to his cocaine use. They have no jurisdiction to sanction him for it.

It is right to allow Boonen to race. The UCI seems to be adhering to rule of law in this matter. They should do it more often. The UCI and WADA right the rules. It is refreshing that, for once, they are following their own rules!

[jhcakilmer]

IMO, it's ridiculous, he should have been suspended pending drug rehab.

Cocaine + cardio intensitive sport like cycling = death

yeah, he's been okay so far, but it's well established the pathophysiological effects of cocaine on cardiovascular function (BP spikes, vasoconstriction, thrombi, etc). So when he drops dead, than they list it as a banned substance?

Also, as a professional athlete shouldn't he be held to some standard, he's a public figure, setting an example for younger cyclist, etc

Heck, even the NFL has suspended players for recreation drugs.

[Walter]

Boonen did not break any UCI or WADA rules in regard to his cocaine use. They have no jurisdiction to sanction him for it.

It is right to allow Boonen to race. The UCI seems to be adhering to rule of law in this matter. They should do it more often. The UCI and WADA right the rules. It is refreshing that, for once, they are following their own rules!

You are correct that no specific rule was broken...OT than arguably the "conduct unbecoming" provision. I also agree that it is refreshing that the UCI actually follows its rules on occasion. My point is simply that the rules as written are uneven, are (often) administered inconsistentl,y and often do not fulfill the espoused purpose behind them.

On another note, this was in Cycling News today:

Donati says link exists between doping and coke use
By Shane Stokes

Italian anti-doping expert Sandro Donati has challenged the notion that there is no direct correlation between recreational cocaine use and the abuse of performance enhancing drugs, saying this week that the two are often linked.

Under the WADA Code, an athlete cannot be punished for testing positive for the substance in out of competition tests. However, Donati indicated at the Play The Game conference in Coventry that he is sceptical about separating the two.

"I don't understand when, every time an athlete is positive for cocaine, that the sporting institutions immediately explain that it is not for performance, it is only for personal use," he said.

"This is an incredible explanation. I was a coach and I know very well the mental balance of the athlete. It is impossible for someone who uses cocaine for his personal life to have a good balance...because the role of the athlete is very complex.

"It means that someone involved in the use of cocaine is not a normal athlete. It means that the using is only a compensation for other using [of drugs]...the cocaine is only the tip of the iceberg."

As justification for his stance, Donati referred to his work as a consultant for a prosecutor in doping cases. "I know very well the connection in using [of both types]," he said, explaining that the substance is used by some in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

It is utilised "mainly to compensate for the slump in mood and aggressiveness during the suspension of anabolic steroids or testosterone," he explained. "There is the consequence of becoming addicted to both categories of substances."

Former Tour de France winner Marco Pantani died of a cocaine overdose in 2004. There have been several high-profile cases of cyclists testing positive for the drug.

While Donati did not name any particular athletes - and therefore didn't make specific accusations of doping against any one individual - it is clear that he would vouch for a rethink of the WADA Code in this area.

He is a former Head of Research for the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and now works as Consultant of the Minister of Social Affairs in Italy.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/jun09/jun13news

[BdaGhisallo]

You make the point that the NFL has suspended players for like behaviour. If that's the case, then it must be within the rules for them to be able to do so, especially considering the strength of the NFL players' union.

I am not making a judgement as to whether Boonen's conduct is unbecoming. All I am saying is that it is refreshing that the sport's authorities are operating within the rules (that they have written) when they have abused them in the past in their efforts to get athletes.

If the UCI wants to be able to ban cyclists for this type of recreational behaviour that they deem damaging to the sport's reputation, they should write a rule or code to that effect.

All I wish to see is that the rules, as they are written, are followed by all parties.