Petacchi Gets a Year's Suspension

blazing_saddles

Yes, it must be time for the Grand Tour season to start. :roll: http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=re ... &type=lgns

redddraggon

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12568612

Just a bit lower

drenkrom

I'd like to see the CAS judges riding a springtime Grand Tour stage with ever-shrinking bronchiae. Then, let them come and say a rider should lose a year of his career for taking more than three inhalations. The suggested dose on the inhaler itself is nearly 3 times that much.

Ridiculous...

DaveyL

"Get's" ??? I've seen it all now :roll:

skavanagh.bikeradar

? I don't remember the details now, perhaps someone with an eye for the science could post it, but isn't the whole point that he had a lot more than three 'puffs'......?

drenkrom

The ATUE he has limits his Salbutamolo levels to 1000 ng/ml, which the exemption equates to three doses of 200mcg per day, which means 6 inhalations, as 1 "puff" contains roughly 100mcg of medication. His measured level was of 1352ng/ml. Quick calculations equate that to around 8 inhalations (if the 3 doses=1000ng/ml link is solid). The inhaler's label says: "1 to 2 inhalations up to 4 times daily". So, Petacchi was probably using his inhaler in accordance to its prescribed use, though over the levels permitted by his TUE. The 1000ng/ml barrier is based on some studies that suggest a constant level of over 1500ng/ml can have an anabolic effect.

So he probably took 2 or 3 extra inhalations. If you're asthmatic and have ever raced hard during spring, a season plagued by both hot/cold contrasts and high pollen levels, you can only understand this. Of course he went over the permitted level, thus violating a rule and should be sanctioned. I just think the punishment has no relation to the crime. He's going to do the same time for 2 extra inhalations of a totally legitimate medication that Stinkewitz did for years of organized blood doping. I don't see how that makes any sense.

Salsiccia

But was it proved to be only because of needing a few extra puffs, or might he been trying to take advantage of the concession he has and push his luck? Perhaps it's something only he will ever truly know.

If he was trying to take advantage then his punishment is fitting. However, if he genuinely did overdose in comparison to what his TUE allows due to genuine medical reasons, then like you say to have the same punishment as Stinkie is faintly ludicrous.

Kléber

There's no point using the "Baxter" defence. Pleading ignorance of the rules is no good. He's a millionaire sports star with a team, a manager and a medical support staff. To get this wrong means either he is stupid and his entourage are useless, or he's cheating and pretending to be asthmatic to use salbutamol as a masking agent.

moray_gub

Kléber wrote:

There's no point using the "Baxter" defence. Pleading ignorance of the rules is no good. He's a millionaire sports star with a team, a manager and a medical support staff. To get this wrong means either he is stupid and his entourage are useless, or he's cheating and pretending to be asthmatic to use salbutamol as a masking agent.

Spot on and your latter point is probably closer to the truth.

cheers
MG

moray_gub

[quote="drenkrom"that Stinkewitz did for years of organized blood doping. I don't see how that makes any sense.[/quote]

iIwas under the impression PS was banned because he tested positive for Testosterone (iirespective of what followed later ) which according to some around these parts doesnt make him a true cheater !!


cheers
MG

drenkrom

MG: 1
Me: 0

moray_gub

drenkrom wrote:

MG: 1
Me: 0

Ach i couldnt resist :-)

cheers
MG