Didn’t see this on the forum yet, quite surprised at the wishy-washy response to this – although I suppose the topic has gone nuclear since this.

So who’s your money on?

http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/17368/doping-hits-the-mountain-bike-scene

* sort of

Not named? WTF?

6 month ban – September to March

W.
T.
F?

Far, far too lenient.
We cannot afford to get tarred with same brush as the roadies.
I really hope that when he returns to racing (actually I hope he will do the decent thing and not return but the kind of person who cheats like that is unlikely to the decent thing) that the other riders will get together and refuse to race against him. All on the start line, we won’t begin until he is removed. It would put the organisers of his first race in an awkward position but I think peer pressure of that kind will be a bigger disincetive than bans or fines.
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Actually, where do organisers stand? Could they have a rule saying they will refuse entry to anyone who has ever failed a drugs test? I know there were issues with lifetime bans from team GB at the olympics but could race organisers just say we aren’t having you, go away?
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I know there are other ways to cheat but drug taking is a deliberate, premeditated action, not a lapse of concentration or spur of the moment error and we cannot afford to give second chances to these people.

odd behaviour from the FFC, giving the rider a ban during the off season.
Surely naming and banning properly seems more in order?

probably a french dude, hence all the secrecy and convenient ban dates.

Wonder if that indicates the rider could be of the French persuasion?

Can anyone find a results list online? Seems to have gone from the Avalanche Cup website.

Conspiracy alert!!!

I assume a French rider as FFC have the jurisdiction over the case?

.
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Dan Atherton

😉

Well done on finding the results.

Dunno who this is, but the positive test is for the same diuretic that Kolobnev was done for during the 2011 TdF – he was eventually cleared of intentional doping due to traces of the drug being found in an over-the-counter medecine that he’s been recommended by his doctor.

Hopefully the FFC have seen evidence to suggest that the positive test is from this type of contamination and that’s why they’ve handed down a minimum ban.

However, without anything to support this it’s just as easy to start getting outraged and fire up the pitchforks.

Regarding race organisers, I think that if races are sanctioned by the national federations then they have to abide by the WADA code, so they can’t impose extra punishments on riders who have served their ban (similar to what overturned the team GB/BC ban on former dopers).

It’s a different story for non-sanctioned races, they can do what they want. To be honest I thought that the Megavalanches were unsanctioned!

That’s 2011. You need this one…

http://content.26in.fr/photos/news/21926/33443.jpg

Ash from TransProvence is all over this and fuming!

EDIT – whoops!

I assume a French rider as FFC have the jurisdiction over the case?

La Reunion island is a French territory.

So J Absalon is in the frame as well as the dedicated enduro riders. Hmmmm.

The doping took place at the Megavalanche event on 26th November 2011 in St Paul (Reunion) and the result established on 20th December 2011. It took until May 2012 for the report to be made and conveniently took until 6th September 2012 for action to be taken. Thus the racer has been allowed to race a full season following the doping coming to light.

Can you edit yours Rikos to save a bit of confusion? Don’t want another Lord McAlpine incedent now do we (whole other can of worms there!)

Enduro rider caught doping

Jeez, really?? The last thing i’d want to do before doing an enduro is smoke a joint 😯

We cannot afford to get tarred with same brush as the roadies.

I have to laugh at people who seem to think that drugs are only used in road cycling, they are just as rife in every other cycling discipline and any other sport.

Ah, @TransProvence says that anyone on the 2012 results list is NOT the guilty party. So we need to compare the two and see who’s missing from the 2012 sheet I posted…here this time to avoid any Lord McAlpine-isms…

Not sure you can do it like that Rickos – drug testing is done for at least the first 3, and then on randomly selected riders, even if they didn’t finish. So you need the full START lists, eliminate all FRA/REU riders who did the 2012 edition, then work out who didn’t ride/isn’t riding in the ban period.

Or just wait for the riders name to leak.

There’s three absent from 2011’s top five Rickos.

Amour and two Wildhabers.

The French forums are all over this. It appears there isn’t too much love for the guilty party 😉

Gotcha. 😉

Very clever ocrider.

This may help others that are as thick as me.

http://translate.google.com/#fr/en/amour

The French forums are all over this. It appears there isn’t too much love for the guilty party

which ones? I looked on bigbike and 26in and there was nothing.

Well perhaps the fans (us etc) should find out who it is and out them. As too should the sponsors.

It would be a shame if this is kept quiet.

If you cheat at this level you really should be banned for life. If you know you cheated and got caught there is no excuse. The sport should be trying to be a role model FFS !

ocrider – Member

It appears there isn’t too much love for the guilty party

Is it Bert Jetaime?

Well perhaps the fans (us etc) should find out who it is and out them

they’re named in this thread.

I’m going to hazard a guess that if it’s who I think it is, it’s likely to be a mistake. My local chemist warns me every time I get something whether or not it’s likely to lead to a failed doping test (maybe Frank Schleck needs to use my chemist too). About 50% of what I get fits into that area and you’d have to be a moron to dope at the Mega for such a low placing.

you’d have to be a moron to dope at the Mega for such a low placing

most of us would be quite happy with 4th 🙂

Maybe they were just doping generally, not just for that race?

you’d have to be a moron to dope at the Mega for such a low placing.

You didn’t ocrider’s hint then?
I know it’s not a podium but it’s not far off
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[EDIT] waswas beat me to it. Name ans shame away.

Ah… my bad, wasn’t reading properly.

I even included a link for all the thick people, I was expecting to get told to remove it because it was too obvious!

this rider always seemed as miserable git

when Al Stock joined the kona enduro team there seemed to be a noticeable lack of love from the guy

i wonder what kona thinkabout all this

ill pop over to their fb page and ask……

oh and an off season ban is a fcking joke

I’m going to hazard a guess that if it’s who I think it is, it’s likely to be a mistake. My local chemist warns me every time I get something whether or not it’s likely to lead to a failed doping test (maybe Frank Schleck needs to use my chemist too). About 50% of what I get fits into that area and you’d have to be a moron to dope at the Mega for such a low placing.

Assuming what you are buying/getting is for medical purposes then so long as you can produce a TUE (therapeutic use exemption) then you able to take that drug. It might not apply to all drugs, but if you need something for medical reasons then you are able to take it.

Most chemists wouldn’t have a clue what it on WADA prohibited/banned list. It also isn’t for the chemist to tell you if something is banned, that is ultimately down to the athlete to check via WADA.

As for this case in particular, the drug found is a masking agent that can be used to cover up another banned substance. I doubt it would be taken by mistake.

mtbmatt – Well I don’t ride in anything sanctioned but the last few times I’ve been in there they usually ask me if I’m doing sporting events if I’m taking anything involving opening the airways (so a bad chest/cold). I have two lots of stuff at home they were clear contain prohibited stuff. If I was a serious competitor I’d be going to the docs about it but obviously it’s not so important.

does this mean that I move up 1 position at the megavalanche last year?

i wonder what kona thinkabout all this

ill pop over to their fb page and ask……

oh and an off season ban is a fcking joke

If enough of us do (not just STWers but bikers in general) Kona will have no wish to be associated with him and will let him go. Hopefully they will do that of their own accord.
It’s going to take some pressure from the fans/other riders to stop him getting sponsored again. If they won’t ban him properly there are other means of stopping him racing again.
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As someone said above, accidents happen, but not with masking agents.

That ban and the anonymity are a complete and utter joke.

Having said that, (and I know internet rumours and angry mobs are great fun), before we all march off en-masse to the Kona Facebook page, should we maybe consider the whole ‘innocent until proven guilty’ thing?

He must have been proven guilty for him to be banned. But generally yes. However, somewhat tricky if he’s been given anonymity.
Am I in danger of creating a Lord McAlpine incedent all of my own?

before we all march off en-masse to the Kona Facebook page, should we maybe consider the whole ‘innocent until proven guilty’ thing?

And that his identity is hearsay at the moment of course.

🙂