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Chris Froome on Alpe d'Huez (picture copyright Anne Martin)UCI president David Lappartient says decision on Chris Froome case now unlikely until after Tour de France
The prospect of the Chris Froome salbutamol case being resolved prior to the Tour de France seems more distant than ever, with UCI president David Lappartient admitting that he “does not believe” a decision will be forthcoming ahead of cycling’s biggest race and that it would be unfair on the rider for it to be heard during the event, which starts on 7 July in the Vendée.
That’s 10 months to the day since the Team Sky star returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for twice the permitted levels of the anti-asthma drug during last year’s Vuelta, which he won.
Froome, who in winning the Giro d’Italia last weekend became just the third rider in history to hold all three Grand Tour titles at the same time, joining Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault – an achievement that left the latter distinctly unimpressed – is aiming to win the Tour de France for a record-equalling fifth time.
> Bernard Hinault: “Froome is not part of the legend of the sport"
Since salbutamol is a specified substance rather than one that is banned outright, he is permitted to race under UCI rules while putting together his defence.
While Lappartient – who learnt of Froome’s AAV within an hour of being elected UCI president last September – is among those to have said that he should have voluntarily suspended himself while the case is ongoing, the Frenchman said in an interview with Le Parisien that he “respects his right” to continue racing.
He insisted that the governing body was not dragging its heels and that the length of time it was taking the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation – which operates independently of the UCI – to decide the case was due to the sheer volume of evidence submitted on behalf of Froome as he seeks to clear his name.
“My hope has always been that this would all have been decided before the Giro,” Lappartient said. “Now, I hope that the file will be closed ahead of the Tour. But we need to be realistic; I don’t think that will happen.
“This isn’t down to laxity on the part of the UCI,” he continued. “But when you have 1,500 pages of scientific reports, you really have to analyse them. We need to respect procedure, the rights of Chris Froome as well as our own.”
Should resolution of the case not happen before the Tour de France – and Lappartient acknowledged that whatever the decision, it would be likely to be appealed by one or other party to the Court of Arbitration of Sport – the UCI president said it was unlikely that a decision would be forthcoming during the race.
That’s assuming that Froome participates in it, although there is a strong prospect that organisers ASO will seek to exclude him to protect the image of the race, something that could result in a legal battle between them and the 33-year-old as well as Team Sky.
“If the case were referred to the UCI’s anti-doping tribunal tomorrow,” Lappartient explained, “the tribunal would hold its hearing, where the rider would still have the right to be heard, during the Tour.
“In that case, we still need to consider that it would take away his ability to defend himself. So I can’t see a decision being made before the Tour de France.”
In the past, Froome and his Team Sky colleagues have had to deal with urine being thrown at them and punched by spectators during the Tour de France, prompted perhaps by not-so-subtle insinuations of doping on the part of television pundits including former rider Laurent Jalabert.
So it’s therefore with what many would see as an excessive dose of optimism that Lappartient has appealed to people watching next month’s race to respect Froome and not pre-judge him.
“I was in Italy [at the Giro d’Italia] and I didn’t feel any hostility [towards Froome] from the Italian people,” he said.
“I don’t know if Chris Froome will be at the start of the Tour, although he plans to be there.
“But even if the case has not been decided, I think that the public must respect him.
“I say to people: have faith in sporting justice and our ability to manage the process in an impartial and equitable way.
“The decision will come in time,” he promised.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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I agree with most of what you say, but perhaps not the domain of application wrt on-road pelotons training....
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Many of us on this site rightly call out poor Policing; let's give credit where it's due - congratulations to Cheshire constabulary and the CPS and...
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Cannon Hill Park today after members of the public found an emergency access gate open & took the opportunity to drive into, around, & park...
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You do see it occassionally....
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Thanks, hadn't heard of that one. As you said, fairly unique circumstances.
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42 comments
Yep Froome is being given special treatment, normally this is done in private.
Sadly interest in the tour for the wrong ng reasons. Who ever it was who broke the confidentiality of this process needs to be caught and prosecuted regardless of the result. It’s boring knowing this is going on and is ruining a classic race season. Plus if Froome is attacked by spectators and then found innocent it is a massive issue
It's a massive issue regardless of the outcome. There should be no place in cycling for assault.
Which is worse, the biggest organized doping scandal in 10 years (USPostal), or someone throwing piss on their top rider (Froome) ... ? Not saying I'd throw the piss, but I'm equally not surprised when it happens.
The incentives for sky to stop operating in the grey area, are so small. They get caught, and there's no punishment (Wiggin's victory is recent enough that they could have cancelled it, it's not like Rijjis who was found to have cheated over 10 years ago, and outside the time limit they had to nullify his win). Sponsor doesnt care. Their fanboys don't care. The only negative to Froome is the awkward press conferences and the high potential of having a ton of French piss thrown at him in July.
It's not that I think all the other teams are squeaky clean, but Sky seem to have mastered the grey area and the whole 'if we don't fail tests, then we're clean' thing that USPostal/Phonak did. Anyone remember the USPostal videos about how they went for marginal gains (they called them something else) with jersey fabric etc?
I wonder if we'll see Froome do another Landis, or if he'll realize that such unbelieveable performanaces only raise more questions.
Bring on July, and bring on a consistent 9 month ban like the other riders who got similar (actually lower) salbutamol readings than Froome.
There really was nothing "unbelievable" about that performance, it's been analysed to death and you can look at the comparative power, speeds, where the actual time gaps were made, commentary from the riders themselves blah blah for yourself. Good job with a lot of help from a strong team against a relatively weak field bar one guy with little support ? Yeah, for sure. Unbelievable ? Nah, not according to the facts anyway...
Which drug do you think Froome used in order to gain a minute and a half on a descent?
Lead?
speed lol
Damn.
Chapeau for that!
The piss throwing is anti British not anti doping!
Why would there be any punishment of Wiggins, you apply for a TUE, the UCI either approves it or does not approve it?
Even if Wiggins and Sky lied about symptoms (and there is zero evidence that they did) there is no sanction for an unsuccessful/illegitimate TUE.
Rijjis took EPO, HGH the whole whack of PEDs clandestinely for the purposes of cheating. There is absolutely no moral or practical equivalence.
Your use of the term "fanboys" speaks to your objectivity.
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