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Updated: Grégory Baugé stripped of individual sprint world title, Jason Kenny gets rainbow jerseyUCI logo on white

Updated: Grégory Baugé stripped of individual sprint world title, Jason Kenny gets rainbow jersey

UCI's annulment of French track star's results could see British rider he beat named world champion...
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, Jan 06, 2012 11:21
10

Jason Kenny has been confirmed as world champion in the individual sprint after world cycling’s governing body, the UCI, announced that French track sprint star Grégory Baugé has been stripped of the title he beat the British rider to win at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands in March last year. Annulment of Baugé's results follows a backdated one-year suspension relating to two infringements in respect of availability for testing and one missed test in the space of 18 months. France has also lost its team sprint title, which Baugé helped win.

In a statement released via British Cycling this afternoon, Kenny said: "The news came as quite a surprise and whilst it’s an honour to get my first senior World Championship title, I would have preferred to have achieved it under different circumstances. I am looking forward to riding the rest of the season wearing the rainbow jersey."

Sir Chris Hoy moves up to silver medal position from bronze. Beaten team sprint finalists Germany also benefit from the decision, with bronze medallists Great Britain again going into the silver medal position.

In November, the 26-year-old Baugé was handed a one year backdated suspension, expiring 22 December 2011, by Fédération Française de Cyclisme’s (FFC) National Disciplinary Commission.

That followed what the UCI described as “two breaches of applicable requirements regarding rider availability and one missed test in 18 months” on the part of the cyclist.

uci
Jason Kenny
Grégory Baugé
Simon MacMichael

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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10 comments

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Simon_MacMichael | 12 years ago
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Why? There's no suggestion of drug taking here, it's three whereabouts infringements. Moreover, it's normal in this type of case for the penalty to be backdated to the date of the third infringement, as has happened here. One of the central issues of concern is why it took nearly a year for the FFC to hold the disciplinary hearing. I can't imagine it's helped Baugé's preparations for 2012 having this hanging over his head for the best part of a year.

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KGLoki | 12 years ago
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Got to say this is a big step backwards for French cycling. A country that has actually done a lot over last few years to clean up cycling. This is no more than a way to ensure he can compete at the Olympics without having to miss any actual racing. Probably the most disgusting thing to happen in French cycling since virenque was allowed to keep his K.O.M. jerseys clearly won with added va-va-voom.

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andylul | 12 years ago
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If he was British, would the BOA ban him from the Olympics too?

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Simon_MacMichael replied to andylul | 12 years ago
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andylul wrote:

If he was British, would the BOA ban him from the Olympics too?

I doubt it, given the precedent that was set with Christine Ohuruogu.

One year ban for Whereabouts infractions, upheld by CAS.

She appealed the subsequent BOA lifetime ban to independent arbitration panel in UK, won the appeal.

She didn't follow through her threat to run for Nigeria, got selected for GB for Beijing, and won gold.

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Simon_MacMichael | 12 years ago
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Our understanding is that it would have been backdated to coincide with the third missed test, although there doesn't appear to be anything on the FFC site that would confirm its decision in November (and would hopefully give more details and dates of the infractions in question).

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Bigfoz | 12 years ago
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Hmm, so the ban is backdated, so he retains ability to compete at the Olympics, and has had the whole of his ban as a normal racing program building to the Olympics. Apart from losing his titles won during that period, how is that a ban? He's not stopped competing, is available for the Olympics, and prepared off a full 4 year build up - isn't that just "been stripped of his 2011 titles"?

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Bigfoz | 12 years ago
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Bigfoz wrote:

Hmm, so the ban is backdated, so he retains ability to compete at the Olympics, and has had the whole of his ban as a normal racing program building to the Olympics. Apart from losing his titles won during that period, how is that a ban? He's not stopped competing, is available for the Olympics, and prepared off a full 4 year build up - isn't that just "been stripped of his 2011 titles"?

Funnily enough his lawyer is muttering darkly about it all being a conspiracy by the UCI to upset his client's preparations given the Games are in London and his main rival is British 3

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step-hent | 12 years ago
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Why back date it? Is it just so that Bauge can compete at the Olympics? Seems like an odd one...

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zoxed replied to step-hent | 12 years ago
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step-hent wrote:

Why back date it?...

I guess so that the punishment relates to time the offense was committed so that any possibly performance-enhanced wins are forfeited.

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zoxed replied to step-hent | 12 years ago
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ooops: double post 2

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