Racing starts late today (the Prologue is a short time trial), so I do have time for more doping talk after all...
Actually, this is an interesting interview that puts some perspective on what I talked about last night: the presumption of innocence or guilt that seems to be in play with the suspensions.
Cyclingnews.com interview with UCI president Pat McQuaid
Some salient quotes from McQuaid:
It is worth remembering that no other sport does what we do. In every other sport in a disciplinary matter they wait until the sportsperson is found guilty before sanctioning. But we - in compliance with the UCI Pro Tour Code of Ethics - can suspend a cyclist once they are implicated in an affair, as in this case. He will stay suspended until the due process is finishedI cannot deny that it will have an effect on the sport, but I have to look at the positive side. It has to be a message to all the other riders in there that no matter how clever you think you are, you will eventually get caught out.
Can you imagine a player's union of a major sport here agreeing to a code like that?
But again I have to state that everything we are dealing with at the moment is allegations. Everybody is innocent at the moment, until we go through a process which proves them guilty. That has got to be stated, clearly. These riders that are being sent from the Tour de France today are being sent home on the presumption of innocence. Because their name is implicated in this report, they have been suspended. But they have not been fired, they will continue to get paid. It is a suspension for now.
One downside to the less-than-zero tolerence that occurs to me is (cue conspiracy theory music) it makes it too easy to frame somebody long enough to knock them out of a particular race, and let's be real...the Pro Tour is really one major major race, two other big races, and a bunch of races that don't have anywhere near the return for sponsors and host cities. Suspended riders may be cleared in time for the Tour de Pologne, but that's not going to make up for missing France.
But at the end of the day, I'm a good ISTJ: if you sign something, you can't turn around later and complain that you're being held to what you signed. Here is the Code of Conduct for UCI Pro Teams to which everyone has been referring:
The UCI ProTeams undertake to:Posted by Nic at July 1, 2006 05:41 AM | TrackBack
...
IX. Without prejudice to the right to terminate the contract for serious misconduct, not to enter any licence-holder for events who is subject to judicial proceedings or investigation for facts relating to sporting activity, or any act constituting a breach of the UCI antidoping regulations, or any other intentional criminal act.1. as from the opening of the investigation or proceedings:
· if the facts are admitted by the party in question, or
· if information from an official source available to the UCI ProTeam shows that the facts in question cannot be seriously contested;2. in other cases, as from the date of referral by the investigating body or, where no such procedure applies, the date of the summons to the accused to appear before the trial judge for sentencing.