http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712 Always select Genuine Rant™ Brand. Everything else is just words. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:27:08 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45095 Jean C Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:16:08 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45095 About the EPO family http://www.google.com/translate?u=http://www.humanite.fr/L-EPO-un-jeu-des-7-familles&hl=fr&ie=UTF8&sl=fr&sl=en&tl=en&tl=fr or access by a short link :http://minilien.com/?zp8pk2vTvf http://www.google.com/translate?u=http://www.humanite.fr/L-EPO-un-jeu-des-7-familles&hl=fr&ie=UTF8&sl=fr&sl=en&tl=en&tl=fr
or access by a short link :http://minilien.com/?zp8pk2vTvf]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45093 karuna Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:14:54 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45093 Jean C There is also the rumour that French riders are not tested as much as the other riders. Rumours! Cancellara is worldchampion TT. Voigt world champion willpower. Aren't they supposed to ride hard? Didn't Chavanel ride too hard? Really, rumours. pff There is also the rumour that as long there is no French winner there will be rumours about other, no-French, riders. Shall we take that as being the truth?
There is also the rumour that French riders are not tested as much as the other riders.
Rumours!

Cancellara is worldchampion TT. Voigt world champion willpower. Aren’t they supposed to ride hard?
Didn’t Chavanel ride too hard?
Really, rumours. pff

There is also the rumour that as long there is no French winner there will be rumours about other, no-French, riders.
Shall we take that as being the truth?]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45092 Jean C Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:15:26 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45092 About the Schleck there is some openly rumours inside TDF departure village since a few day. It's said that they are under AFLD scope for blood doping. CSC riders showed an extreme ability to climb, the most impressive were their heavier riders: Voigt and Cancellara. Andy Schleck seemed to have a problem a la Landis or Zulle on Hautacam. Many possible clues for rumors. Gusev's exclusion confirms the good choice of ASO not to invite Astana. Despite their allegation, the "new" management need time to clean the team. Many possible clues for rumors.

Gusev’s exclusion confirms the good choice of ASO not to invite Astana. Despite their allegation, the “new” management need time to clean the team.]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45089 fmk Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:55:07 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45089 The Fränk Schleck = Amigo de Birillo (ie Basso) story was floated by a Duch paper last summer. If Süddeutsche Zeitung are running with it then they must have more faith in it this year. Certainly it may explain CONI's interest in CSC, the customs search yesterday and the almost silent speculation going on about CSC (how do you do silent speculation? You refer to clean teams in the Tour and only list Garmin and Columbia, as if to say you don't believe CSC are clean at all). Anyway, the timing of this SZ story makes the timing of the Gusev story seem very appropriate. If you believe in coincidences then it's a great coincidence and one Damsgaard can be happy for. If, however, you believe in conspiracies, it seems unlikely that Bruyneel would finally associate himself with a junkie after a spotless record all these years and then fire him today just to help Damsgaard out of a fix. Unless he has a reason to protect Damsgaard. That's the problem with the conspiracy theory end of it. It gets too complicated. So let's stick with coincidence.
Anyway, the timing of this SZ story makes the timing of the Gusev story seem very appropriate. If you believe in coincidences then it’s a great coincidence and one Damsgaard can be happy for.

If, however, you believe in conspiracies, it seems unlikely that Bruyneel would finally associate himself with a junkie after a spotless record all these years and then fire him today just to help Damsgaard out of a fix. Unless he has a reason to protect Damsgaard.

That’s the problem with the conspiracy theory end of it. It gets too complicated. So let’s stick with coincidence.]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45088 karuna Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:16:51 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45088 Link Frank Schleck story Süddeutsche Zeitung: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/weitere/special/329/122165/index.html/sport/weitere/artikel/511/187914/article.html http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/weitere/special/329/122165/index.html/sport/weitere/artikel/511/187914/article.html]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45087 William Schart Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:49:20 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45087 Re: the 30 day limt, there are too possible reasons for this, administrative and scientific. By administrative, I mean simple that the powers that be institute time limits in order that things proceed in a reasonably timely fashion. For example, Landis had 5 days to request the B sample test, he had a certain time limit after the Malibu hearing to file an appeal to CAS, etc. If he had failed to meet any of these limits, it would have been tough luck, and rightly so. Such limits have nothing to do with causing or not causing an AAF. By scientific, I mean that there is possibility, however well samples are stored, that deterioration will occur, rendering a test impossible. Such might vary with the nature of the test and the substance in question. However, I would note the the additional B sample testing done prior to the Malibu hearing were well after 30 days. As I recall, there was no question raised about whether this was a factor. If the 30 day limit is an administrative limit, then the question of whether or not exceeding the limit caused an AAF is immaterial, IMHO. You don't do the test in time, the case gets tossed. Else what is the point of having the limit? It would seem to me that this limit is indeed an administrative limit designed to move things along, not necessarily to guarantee that samples haven't deteriorated. But obviously the powers that be don't agree with this. So what is the point of having this limit?
By scientific, I mean that there is possibility, however well samples are stored, that deterioration will occur, rendering a test impossible. Such might vary with the nature of the test and the substance in question. However, I would note the the additional B sample testing done prior to the Malibu hearing were well after 30 days. As I recall, there was no question raised about whether this was a factor.

If the 30 day limit is an administrative limit, then the question of whether or not exceeding the limit caused an AAF is immaterial, IMHO. You don’t do the test in time, the case gets tossed. Else what is the point of having the limit? It would seem to me that this limit is indeed an administrative limit designed to move things along, not necessarily to guarantee that samples haven’t deteriorated. But obviously the powers that be don’t agree with this. So what is the point of having this limit?]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45086 karuna Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:12:22 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45086 According to 'Der Suddeutsche Zeiting' is Frank Sleck connected to OP. He is number 25 of the Fuentes list, according to the newspaper. The newspaper is the one that connected Contador to OP. He is number 25 of the Fuentes list, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper is the one that connected Contador to OP.]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45085 Rant Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:09:38 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45085 Bill,<br /> Thanks for the tip. I was wondering what would happen if a rider had "unusual values." Now we have an answer. Interesting that Bruyneel states that the evidence doesn't prove the use of banned substances. Tough break for Gusev. But if he was doping, good for Astana to have parted company with him. They certainly make it sound like there's a tough policy in place at Astana. Interesting timing, what with a certain race ending in Paris in two day's time.
Thanks for the tip. I was wondering what would happen if a rider had “unusual values.” Now we have an answer. Interesting that Bruyneel states that the evidence doesn’t prove the use of banned substances. Tough break for Gusev. But if he was doping, good for Astana to have parted company with him. They certainly make it sound like there’s a tough policy in place at Astana. Interesting timing, what with a certain race ending in Paris in two day’s time.]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45084 bill hue Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:47:21 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45084 From Procycling.com Team Astana terminates Vladimir GusevBy BikeRadar Astana Cycling team management has terminated the contract of Russian cyclist Vladimir Gusev due to 'irregular values'. The values were gathered during internal out-of-competition control tests, under the supervision of anti-doping expert Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard. The Team has applied the contractual clauses based on these physiological and biological abnormalities. "Vladimir Gusev has been officially notified that he no longer represents Team Astana", said general manager Johan Bruyneel. "Though his results do not indicate the use of forbidden substances, Vladimir's values exceeded the normal parameters established by Dr. Damsgaard and were not compliant with the strict agreement signed by all thirty riders. Our Kazakh sponsors have also been made aware of this decision and are fully supportive." Bruyneel further commented: "It's impossible for any team manager to know the activities of riders behind closed doors, but we continue to enforce that Team Astana has a 100 percent no tolerance policy and any violators will serve the same fate as Vladimir. On a brighter note, this proves that Dr. Damsgaard's system works and we are committed to racing clean." Under Dr. Damsgaard's anti-doping system, Team Astana riders are frequently required to submit blood and urine samples, which are then sent to independent labs for analysis. This system, also instituted by CSC-Saxo Bank, is in addition to any sport or Olympic governing body's tests. "Certainly these situations are unfortunate, but I truly believe that we are continuing to see a cleaner sport with a large majority of credible riders. Teams like Astana and CSC-Saxo Bank have shown their full commitment to my program and I, in return, have committed all my resources to their firm anti-doping stance," Dr. Damsgaard said. According to team spokesman Philippe Maertens, Gusev's release is effective immediately and he is free to seek employment with another team or company

Team Astana terminates Vladimir GusevBy BikeRadar

Astana Cycling team management has terminated the contract of Russian cyclist Vladimir Gusev due to ‘irregular values’. The values were gathered during internal out-of-competition control tests, under the supervision of anti-doping expert Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard. The Team has applied the contractual clauses based on these physiological and biological abnormalities.

“Vladimir Gusev has been officially notified that he no longer represents Team Astana”, said general manager Johan Bruyneel. “Though his results do not indicate the use of forbidden substances, Vladimir’s values exceeded the normal parameters established by Dr. Damsgaard and were not compliant with the strict agreement signed by all thirty riders. Our Kazakh sponsors have also been made aware of this decision and are fully supportive.”

Bruyneel further commented: “It’s impossible for any team manager to know the activities of riders behind closed doors, but we continue to enforce that Team Astana has a 100 percent no tolerance policy and any violators will serve the same fate as Vladimir. On a brighter note, this proves that Dr. Damsgaard’s system works and we are committed to racing clean.”

Under Dr. Damsgaard’s anti-doping system, Team Astana riders are frequently required to submit blood and urine samples, which are then sent to independent labs for analysis. This system, also instituted by CSC-Saxo Bank, is in addition to any sport or Olympic governing body’s tests.

“Certainly these situations are unfortunate, but I truly believe that we are continuing to see a cleaner sport with a large majority of credible riders. Teams like Astana and CSC-Saxo Bank have shown their full commitment to my program and I, in return, have committed all my resources to their firm anti-doping stance,” Dr. Damsgaard said.

According to team spokesman Philippe Maertens, Gusev’s release is effective immediately and he is free to seek employment with another team or company]]> http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45083 Larry Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:41:13 +0000 http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=712#comment-45083 8-0, we're still not sure exactly what rules apply to the testing in this year's Tour. But I don't think that the ASO will be satisfied to limit the consequences of in-Tour AAFs to races run in France or organized by the ASO. The ASO cares about the popularity and health of cycling in general, if only because the general state of cycling affects the ASO's profitability. Also, ASO has to consider the point of view of the ex-pro Tour teams, as well as WADA and the other parties in cycling with which ASO wants to do business. All concerned expect ASO to act in concert with the world-wide effort to combat doping. It would be a blow to ASO AND to its partners if in-competition AAFs at ASO events were treated as a private matter, of concern to ASO and ASO only. Remember, if ASO wants to be respected as the leader of pro cycling, they have to act in a responsible manner and in the interests of their partners. My own guess continues to be that AAFs arising from this year's Tour will be handled and finalized by FFC, using the same rules FFC would apply to any cycling event on its national calendar. Then these AAFs will be enforced world-wide by the various national cycling federations, as required by UCI rules. If the UCI rules are inapplicable to this year's Tour, then I would expect that most national federations would act voluntarily to enforce these AAFs.
My own guess continues to be that AAFs arising from this year’s Tour will be handled and finalized by FFC, using the same rules FFC would apply to any cycling event on its national calendar. Then these AAFs will be enforced world-wide by the various national cycling federations, as required by UCI rules. If the UCI rules are inapplicable to this year’s Tour, then I would expect that most national federations would act voluntarily to enforce these AAFs.]]>