Former US Postal Rider Punches Garmin-Chipotle Doctor

donrhummy

During the stage 3 criterium in Salt Lake City last Friday, Tour of Utah team liaison Marty Jemison, a former U.S. Postal Service rider, punched Steffen after the team doctor made what Jemison considered to be an inflammatory remark about alleged doping dating back over a decade.

Jemison and Steffen worked together at U.S. Postal during the 1996 season; Jemison was a talented American rider on the upstart squad, and Steffen was an emergency room physician and admitted recovering heroin addict.

(Jemison) said something like ‘Twelve years later, we’re still trying to clean up the mess you idiots made.’

http://www.velonews.com/article/82154/o ... ltercation

Now, here's something I don't understand. This doctor is a recovered (or recovering) heroin addict, yet he's criticizing someone else for using drugs in the past and making a mess of things as a result?! Sure, it may not even be true that Jemison doped but even if it is, what gives a person who was a heroin-addict the right to criticize an EPO user?! :?:

deal

donrhummy wrote:

what gives a person who was a heroin-addict the right to criticize an EPO user?! :?:

the addict is hurting himself only, he was a doctor so he likely wasnt going out mugging grannies to fund his habit. The doper is stealing oportunities and income from clean riders.

donrhummy

deal wrote:

donrhummy wrote:

what gives a person who was a heroin-addict the right to criticize an EPO user?! :?:

the addict is hurting himself only, he was a doctor so he likely wasnt going out mugging grannies to fund his habit. The doper is stealing oportunities and income from clean riders.

Really? You'd be fine if your emergency room care was administered by a heroin addict who might either be high at that time or jonesin' for some heroin? There's no way a doctor on heroin could hurt any patients?

micron

Actually, heroin users who can be guaranteed a supply - like a doctor, perhaps - can function absolutely adequately. Some years ago Switzerland voted to allow addicts access to drugs and clean needles and there has been a significant reduction in heroin related crime statistics.

Steffen has spoken out many times about PEDs and the US Postal team - it seems to me disingenuous to suddenly make a big deal of his addiction which has never been an issue before now

blazing_saddles

I've pinched this link and posted it elsewhere, Micron.

aurelio_-_banned

donrhummy wrote:

Now, here's something I don't understand. This doctor is a recovered (or recovering) heroin addict...

From your link...

Referring to Steffen’s own admitted drug use - he is a former user of pharmaceutical opiates, with a now-20-year history of sobriety

So, not street `heroin` but `pharmaceutical opiates`. Also he has been clean for 20 years. What`s more, from what I have heard drug abuse by doctors is pretty common, which is perhaps not surprising given the stresses they often work under and the ready access they have to drugs of all kinds, including opiates.

DaveyL

I heard a while back that pethidine was the physicians' drug of abuse of choice .

micron

To set the record straight: it is opinion and speculation only - from a moderator on another forum, no less :roll: - that Steffen was ever dealing with patients whilst using drugs.

iainf72

Can I always mention when someone is a former USPS or Disco rider from now on? Kind of in a "Former Discovery Channel rider Steve Cummings wins Coppa Bernocchi"?

I wonder what former USPS rider and now Garmin manager J Vaughters made of the whole thing?