Evans' tour tilt hit by rider's positive test
Schmidthouse
Posts: 134
From today's Age (in Melbourne) - http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/eva ... 32702.html
A "VERY disappointed" Cadel Evans has admitted his hopes of a Tour de France victory have been set back by the positive drugs test of Bernhard Kohl, the cyclist only just hired by Evans' Silence Lotto team to help the Australian breakthrough and win the race next July.
Tour runner-up the past two years, Evans told The Age from Europe yesterday that Silence-Lotto's search for another climber to support him in the mountainous stages was already underway and, while he wouldn't disclose the identity of the cyclist, Evans said he had someone in mind.
"Yes, of course, we need another climber. Who, at this point, is confidential. We thought we had a great helper for 2009 and beyond, but now we have to look for another," Evans said.
France's national anti-doping agency announced this week that Kohl, who was the best climber in this year's tour and finished third overall behind Carlos Sastre and Evans, had tested positive to the drug EPO CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator) — a substance that increases red blood cells. After his outstanding tour performance, Silence-Lotto lured him from German team Gerolsteiner and signed him until 2011.
Asked whether it would hinder his next tour campaign, Evans said: "At this stage. (But) I prefer all of the cheats are taken out of the sport — every sport. We will look for another rider to replace Bernhard."
Kohl faces a two-year ban if his A-sample result is confirmed by the B-sample.
While fellow Australian champion Stuart O'Grady, who rode with winning team CSC-Saxo in this year's tour, said after the Kohl findings that he had been suspicious of the 26-year-old Austrian's rapid rise in the professional ranks, Evans said yesterday he had not pre-judged.
"He certainly rode above his past level, but this alone is not enough to accuse someone of cheating. Positive drug tests — we hope — are proof," Evans said.
Kohl's former team Gerolsteiner will not race again this season after its other star rider, Stefan Schumacher, also tested positive and its German mineral water company sponsor withdrew its support from the sport.
France's anti-doping agency announced that after introducing a new blood test to screen Tour de France riders retrospectively and catching four from this year's event, there are no further positives to be declared.
The fall-out from Kohl's positive test was felt elsewhere yesterday with next year's six-day Tour of Stuttgart cancelled by organisers who said recent failed doping tests had tarnished the sport. The race was to be held from January 15-20.
"We have held intense discussions over the last few days and decided at the conclusion not to organise the 26th edition of the competition given the current situation in cycling," organiser Andreas Kroll told German agency SID.
"Professional cycling has an enormous image problem at the moment which we can't currently change."
Kohl and Schumacher are two of four from the Tour de France to test positive along with after Italians Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli.
A "VERY disappointed" Cadel Evans has admitted his hopes of a Tour de France victory have been set back by the positive drugs test of Bernhard Kohl, the cyclist only just hired by Evans' Silence Lotto team to help the Australian breakthrough and win the race next July.
Tour runner-up the past two years, Evans told The Age from Europe yesterday that Silence-Lotto's search for another climber to support him in the mountainous stages was already underway and, while he wouldn't disclose the identity of the cyclist, Evans said he had someone in mind.
"Yes, of course, we need another climber. Who, at this point, is confidential. We thought we had a great helper for 2009 and beyond, but now we have to look for another," Evans said.
France's national anti-doping agency announced this week that Kohl, who was the best climber in this year's tour and finished third overall behind Carlos Sastre and Evans, had tested positive to the drug EPO CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator) — a substance that increases red blood cells. After his outstanding tour performance, Silence-Lotto lured him from German team Gerolsteiner and signed him until 2011.
Asked whether it would hinder his next tour campaign, Evans said: "At this stage. (But) I prefer all of the cheats are taken out of the sport — every sport. We will look for another rider to replace Bernhard."
Kohl faces a two-year ban if his A-sample result is confirmed by the B-sample.
While fellow Australian champion Stuart O'Grady, who rode with winning team CSC-Saxo in this year's tour, said after the Kohl findings that he had been suspicious of the 26-year-old Austrian's rapid rise in the professional ranks, Evans said yesterday he had not pre-judged.
"He certainly rode above his past level, but this alone is not enough to accuse someone of cheating. Positive drug tests — we hope — are proof," Evans said.
Kohl's former team Gerolsteiner will not race again this season after its other star rider, Stefan Schumacher, also tested positive and its German mineral water company sponsor withdrew its support from the sport.
France's anti-doping agency announced that after introducing a new blood test to screen Tour de France riders retrospectively and catching four from this year's event, there are no further positives to be declared.
The fall-out from Kohl's positive test was felt elsewhere yesterday with next year's six-day Tour of Stuttgart cancelled by organisers who said recent failed doping tests had tarnished the sport. The race was to be held from January 15-20.
"We have held intense discussions over the last few days and decided at the conclusion not to organise the 26th edition of the competition given the current situation in cycling," organiser Andreas Kroll told German agency SID.
"Professional cycling has an enormous image problem at the moment which we can't currently change."
Kohl and Schumacher are two of four from the Tour de France to test positive along with after Italians Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli.
There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.
0
Comments
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Some journalistic licence here, the author trying to make it all sound more understandable to a non-cycling audience
I bet he didn't take too much 'luring' from a team which was folding at the end of the year...After his outstanding tour performance, Silence-Lotto lured him from German team Gerolsteiner
More correct would be to say that Silence-Lotto got there first/offered him more money/had a more open regime (take your pick !) than other teams trying to sign him.
No, Gerolsteiner water company announced several months ago that they weren't continuing their sponsorship of the Gerolsteiner cycling team next season, it wasn't after Shumi and most certainly not after Kohl tested +ve.Kohl's former team Gerolsteiner will not race again this season after its other star rider, Stefan Schumacher, also tested positive and its German mineral water company sponsor withdrew its support from the sport.
Team owner/manager Hans-Michael Holczer announced he couldn't find another sponsor, so the cycling team was to fold next year anyway.
Now Kohl has been caught, Holczer has decided to wrap it up immediately, not at the end of the season.0 -
That is in fact a correct statement; they mean this season, 2008; Lombardia essentially; just ask Davide. And that is very much the result of Schumi and Kohl.andy_wrx wrote:Kohl's former team Gerolsteiner will not race again this season after its other star rider, Stefan Schumacher, also tested positive
But now then, no speculation about that new climber to assist Cadel? I assume Kohl did not come cheaply after last year's TdF, so they will now have some cash to go round.
Does Soler already have a team?0 -
FJS wrote:
That is in fact a correct statement; they mean this season, 2008; Lombardia essentially; just ask Davide. And that is very much the result of Schumi and Kohl.andy_wrx wrote:Kohl's former team Gerolsteiner will not race again this season after its other star rider, Stefan Schumacher, also tested positive
But now then, no speculation about that new climber to assist Cadel? I assume Kohl did not come cheaply after last year's TdF, so they will now have some cash to go round.
Does Soler already have a team?
New climber to aid Cadel? My mail is that Redant is head-hunting Emmanuelle Sella for the role.0 -
Eh?Le Blaireau (1)0
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sella hes a better smack head than kohlNew climber to aid Cadel? My mail is that Redant is head-hunting Emmanuelle Sella for the role.0
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DaveyL wrote:Eh?
Just saying that Silence has been great in finding Cadel support. He loses Horner, gains Popo - we all know how well that went.
Now he gets Kohl - and that falls flat on it's face.
Why not go for Sella??? [Tongue in cheek]
Seriously, what stocks are left for Silence now? At least it promises to be a great shoot-out between CSC and Astana. That should make for a great 3 weeks!0 -
Schmidthouse wrote:While fellow Australian champion Stuart O'Grady, who rode with winning team CSC-Saxo in this year's tour, said after the Kohl findings that he had been suspicious of the 26-year-old Austrian's rapid rise in the professional ranks...
Stuey, Stuey, Stuey... people in glass houses and all that.0 -
Can't imagine Soler being hired as a replacement. He can climb but seemingly can't avoid crashes long enough to reach the mountains.
Who is Wegmann riding for next year?0 -
Well Rasmussen has got his court hearing next month with CAS. Could he be free to ride?0
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afx237vi wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:While fellow Australian champion Stuart O'Grady, who rode with winning team CSC-Saxo in this year's tour, said after the Kohl findings that he had been suspicious of the 26-year-old Austrian's rapid rise in the professional ranks...
Stuey, Stuey, Stuey... people in glass houses and all that.
So you reckon Stuey has been on the sauce then ?
cheers
MGGasping - but somehow still alive !0 -
Le Commentateur wrote:Can't imagine Soler being hired as a replacement. He can climb but seemingly can't avoid crashes long enough to reach the mountains.
Who is Wegmann riding for next year?
Signed for Milram.
cheers
MGGasping - but somehow still alive !0 -
afx237vi wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:While fellow Australian champion Stuart O'Grady, who rode with winning team CSC-Saxo in this year's tour, said after the Kohl findings that he had been suspicious of the 26-year-old Austrian's rapid rise in the professional ranks...
Stuey, Stuey, Stuey... people in glass houses and all that.
Im sorry im confused do we want the riders to speak out against doping or not. I am so f*^%#g sick of people getting into the riders not speaking, then for speaking out and everything in between. Stuey never tested positive for anything or even had a hint of anything to do with doping so why shouldnt he get stuck in. Or do you have to be Millar types who have suddenly seen the error of your ways and now see fit to slag off other dopers because now he has some moral high ground.Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.0 -
End of the day, Cadel is never gonna win the TDF.0
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afx237vi wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:While fellow Australian champion Stuart O'Grady, who rode with winning team CSC-Saxo in this year's tour, said after the Kohl findings that he had been suspicious of the 26-year-old Austrian's rapid rise in the professional ranks...
Stuey, Stuey, Stuey... people in glass houses and all that.
Just what we need, another misinformed person casting aspersions against people and slurrying there character. Please, apart from the rumour that CSC were going to be outed from this tour as having a lot of positives for CERA with the recent re-testing, which we all know came to nought for CSC, what have you honestly got of any substance to back up that O'grady has been doping. Stick to the facts. I to hope that all dopers get caught and named and shamed, but the poor guys that aren't doping and have these sort of comments thrown around about them must be getting pi$#ed about it by know. How would you like it if I started spreading rumours such as, hey I heard that you stole from your employer, published it on the internet for all to see with absolutely no foundation to it. Lay it out on the table, what credible information do you have that o'grady dopes?0 -
ACMadone wrote:End of the day, Cadel is never gonna win the TDF.
Unfortunately I have to agree with that. My wife and I went over this year hoping to be there to watch the first Aussie win and we were on the Alpe when Sastre went by. Cadel's chance was this year.There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.0 -
I think regardless of whether you believe Cadel can or can't win the Tour from here on, I still think we should respect what a good rider he is and that he deserves a good team around him. It's not normalfor a potential Tour winner to have nobody around him as the peloton approaches a mountain. Sastre had all the support in the world. People to set a pace. Attack and to control the attacks of other contenders. Cadel actually, in my opinion, rode one hell of a brave race. He had to cover everything for himself, which no doubt caused him to fatigue more quickly. I don't care what anybody says.0
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Patrick1.0 wrote:I think regardless of whether you believe Cadel can or can't win the Tour from here on, I still think we should respect what a good rider he is and that he deserves a good team around him. It's not normalfor a potential Tour winner to have nobody around him as the peloton approaches a mountain. Sastre had all the support in the world. People to set a pace. Attack and to control the attacks of other contenders. Cadel actually, in my opinion, rode one hell of a brave race. He had to cover everything for himself, which no doubt caused him to fatigue more quickly. I don't care what anybody says.
Also - couldn't agree more. He also has to deal with some of the decisions his team has made which have made it very difficult for him - ie: where was Popo? I have followed Cadel since he first started racing here in MTB and love the effort he puts in.There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.0 -
Schmidthouse wrote:Patrick1.0 wrote:I think regardless of whether you believe Cadel can or can't win the Tour from here on, I still think we should respect what a good rider he is and that he deserves a good team around him. It's not normalfor a potential Tour winner to have nobody around him as the peloton approaches a mountain. Sastre had all the support in the world. People to set a pace. Attack and to control the attacks of other contenders. Cadel actually, in my opinion, rode one hell of a brave race. He had to cover everything for himself, which no doubt caused him to fatigue more quickly. I don't care what anybody says.
Also - couldn't agree more. He also has to deal with some of the decisions his team has made which have made it very difficult for him - ie: where was Popo? I have followed Cadel since he first started racing here in MTB and love the effort he puts in.
I know, people who call him a wheelsucker - alright, sometimes in jest - in general, are pretty ignorant. It's a strange thing, to my mind because if he could attack and blow everybody else away then he would. I think Cadel just gives it his all and he gets what he gets. Personally, I respect that. I think it's pretty frustrating for him to have to deal with four, five Spaniards on the final climb of a 200k stage. These guys all know how to talk to one another besides just the regular team tactics.
The way csc were able to play cat and mouse with him up the Alpe just would not have been possible if he'd had a strong rider there with him to set a hard pace and limit the losses on Sastre.0 -
I know, people who call him a wheelsucker - alright, sometimes in jest - in general, are pretty ignorant. It's a strange thing, to my mind because if he could attack and blow everybody else away then he would. I think Cadel just gives it his all and he gets what he gets. Personally, I respect that. I think it's pretty frustrating for him to have to deal with four, five Spaniards on the final climb of a 200k stage. These guys all know how to talk to one another besides just the regular team tactics.[/quote]
The other joy - he makes riding up some of those climbs as hard as it should look.There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.0 -
richard wants a baum wrote:afx237vi wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:While fellow Australian champion Stuart O'Grady, who rode with winning team CSC-Saxo in this year's tour, said after the Kohl findings that he had been suspicious of the 26-year-old Austrian's rapid rise in the professional ranks...
Stuey, Stuey, Stuey... people in glass houses and all that.
Im sorry im confused do we want the riders to speak out against doping or not. I am so f*^%#g sick of people getting into the riders not speaking, then for speaking out and everything in between. Stuey never tested positive for anything or even had a hint of anything to do with doping so why shouldnt he get stuck in. Or do you have to be Millar types who have suddenly seen the error of your ways and now see fit to slag off other dopers because now he has some moral high ground.
Well, I admit I do get a little bit miffed when Stuey makes these comments. He tells us he wasn't suprised that Kohl tested positive. You 'can't make a donkey into a race horse' is what he said.
He also told us he wasn't suprised that Landis got busted either (but then again - who wasn't).
My point - if riders such as O'Grady can tell who is doping and who is not, then they should do something about it, and not just come out and say 'I knew it' after a rider is busted.
If riders are suspicious of another athlete's performance then they should act. Should they just depend on a governing body and WADA to have full-proof tests?
We can all see the effects of Schumacher's and Kohl's failed tests - TdF not being shown by two German TV stations, the Tour of Germany cancelled for 2009, no 6 Day at Stuttgart.
If riders suspect something, they should do something about it. Sure, they might not dope, but their lack of actions, doesn't discourage dopers in the peloton, and this is killing the sport. O'Grady and the likes have every right to speak up - but please have the gumption to do so BEFORE someone is busted.
I wonder if O'Grady ever suspected any of his team mates - that Basso, Schleck may have been up to no good, may have been associating with the wrong crowd. I wonder what he would have done??0 -
Yeah right - what could O Grady do just because he suspected ? Seems to me the doping people were onto suspicious improvements anyway.
Most of us raised eyebrows when Schumacher won the TT, and I was delighted when he was accidentally knocked off.
OK - Evans plans for 2009 have been derailed by this - but what if Schleck did more than just pay 7k to Fuentes ? Was Evans screwed over this year too ? You have to admit - CSC were very impressive - three amazing riders in the hills. Talent ? Luck ? Preparation ?
Would any of us be surprised now if it were the latter ?0 -
There's not a lot Stuart O'Grady can do in terms of accusing somebody of doping before they fail a test. That's not going to achieve anything. Unless he could provide some evidence of the doping as a witness or something.0
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Patrick1.0 wrote:There's not a lot Stuart O'Grady can do in terms of accusing somebody of doping before they fail a test. That's not going to achieve anything.
Plus I imagine he would open himself up to all sorts of litigation if he did?There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.0 -
Schmidthouse wrote:Patrick1.0 wrote:There's not a lot Stuart O'Grady can do in terms of accusing somebody of doping before they fail a test. That's not going to achieve anything.
Plus I imagine he would open himself up to all sorts of litigation if he did?
Okay, but I can't believe for one moment that NO ONE on Gerolsteiner's team had any idea that either Schumi or Kohl were up to no good.
Lets say that John Smith thought that Kohl was 'suss'. And when I say 'suss', not just a gut feeling. Don't you think that John Smith should act?
That doesn't mean he accuses anyone - especially publicly. But I think John Smith has a responsibilty to voice his concerns to either his DS or to the UCI and they should act. Pro riders are probably the best barometer for determining who's doping. They ride day-in, day-out together, and surely can tell if someone's form is unexplicably and suddenly better, or their form is just too good.
I reckon that if someone could do a secret poll on all riders and ask them who they thought were doping, alot of the same names would appear on the lists.0 -
SpaceJunk wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:Patrick1.0 wrote:There's not a lot Stuart O'Grady can do in terms of accusing somebody of doping before they fail a test. That's not going to achieve anything.
Plus I imagine he would open himself up to all sorts of litigation if he did?
Okay, but I can't believe for one moment that NO ONE on Gerolsteiner's team had any idea that either Schumi or Kohl were up to no good.
Lets say that John Smith thought that Kohl was 'suss'. And when I say 'suss', not just a gut feeling. Don't you think that John Smith should act?
That doesn't mean he accuses anyone - especially publicly. But I think John Smith has a responsibilty to voice his concerns to either his DS or to the UCI and they should act. Pro riders are probably the best barometer for determining who's doping. They ride day-in, day-out together, and surely can tell if someone's form is unexplicably and suddenly better, or their form is just too good.
I reckon that if someone could do a secret poll on all riders and ask them who they thought were doping, alot of the same names would appear on the lists.
So playing devils advocate - say John Smith and Brian X have a falling out during a race then John Smith gets really PO'd so he rasies suspicions about Brian X with the UCI who then start (rightly or wrongly) target testing him..........
And I know - thats not a solution either
There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.0 -
Schmidthouse wrote:SpaceJunk wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:Patrick1.0 wrote:There's not a lot Stuart O'Grady can do in terms of accusing somebody of doping before they fail a test. That's not going to achieve anything.
Plus I imagine he would open himself up to all sorts of litigation if he did?
Okay, but I can't believe for one moment that NO ONE on Gerolsteiner's team had any idea that either Schumi or Kohl were up to no good.
Lets say that John Smith thought that Kohl was 'suss'. And when I say 'suss', not just a gut feeling. Don't you think that John Smith should act?
That doesn't mean he accuses anyone - especially publicly. But I think John Smith has a responsibilty to voice his concerns to either his DS or to the UCI and they should act. Pro riders are probably the best barometer for determining who's doping. They ride day-in, day-out together, and surely can tell if someone's form is unexplicably and suddenly better, or their form is just too good.
I reckon that if someone could do a secret poll on all riders and ask them who they thought were doping, alot of the same names would appear on the lists.
So playing devils advocate - say John Smith and Brian X have a falling out during a race then John Smith gets really PO'd so he rasies suspicions about Brian X with the UCI who then start (rightly or wrongly) target testing him..........
And I know - thats not a solution either
I reckon you're onto something here. This could actually make epic movie.
Imagine rookie rider, say a young Tom Cruise joining a pro team and wanting to race clean. Then he spots his team mate (Robert Downey Jnr) doing the dirty and dobs him into Jack Nicholson (DS).
However Jack is on the uptake and covers up Robert's indiscrections. Now Tom starts to rival his cheating team-captain in abilities, so Jack and Robert set him up for a fall by getting Tim Robbins (the team's physio) to encourage Tom to use a new chamois cream.
The UCI, played by Anthony Hopkins goes to throw the book at Tom and bans him. Well Tom wants to clear his name and hires the lawyer from Seinfeld 'who told you to put the balm on'.
Well it turns into a courtroom shown down as WADA president, Chuck Norris sides with Tom and helps clear his name.
Name for the movie - 'Wheels of Life'.0 -
So what was Stuey suppose to do? He had and idea he might be on something? He said nothing wrong and thats that. :?Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.0
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SpaceJunk wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:SpaceJunk wrote:Schmidthouse wrote:Patrick1.0 wrote:There's not a lot Stuart O'Grady can do in terms of accusing somebody of doping before they fail a test. That's not going to achieve anything.
Plus I imagine he would open himself up to all sorts of litigation if he did?
Okay, but I can't believe for one moment that NO ONE on Gerolsteiner's team had any idea that either Schumi or Kohl were up to no good.
Lets say that John Smith thought that Kohl was 'suss'. And when I say 'suss', not just a gut feeling. Don't you think that John Smith should act?
That doesn't mean he accuses anyone - especially publicly. But I think John Smith has a responsibilty to voice his concerns to either his DS or to the UCI and they should act. Pro riders are probably the best barometer for determining who's doping. They ride day-in, day-out together, and surely can tell if someone's form is unexplicably and suddenly better, or their form is just too good.
I reckon that if someone could do a secret poll on all riders and ask them who they thought were doping, alot of the same names would appear on the lists.
So playing devils advocate - say John Smith and Brian X have a falling out during a race then John Smith gets really PO'd so he rasies suspicions about Brian X with the UCI who then start (rightly or wrongly) target testing him..........
And I know - thats not a solution either
I reckon you're onto something here. This could actually make epic movie.
Imagine rookie rider, say a young Tom Cruise joining a pro team and wanting to race clean. Then he spots his team mate (Robert Downey Jnr) doing the dirty and dobs him into Jack Nicholson (DS).
However Jack is on the uptake and covers up Robert's indiscrections. Now Tom starts to rival his cheating team-captain in abilities, so Jack and Robert set him up for a fall by getting Tim Robbins (the team's physio) to encourage Tom to use a new chamois cream.
The UCI, played by Anthony Hopkins goes to throw the book at Tom and bans him. Well Tom wants to clear his name and hires the lawyer from Seinfeld 'who told you to put the balm on'.
Well it turns into a courtroom shown down as WADA president, Chuck Norris sides with Tom and helps clear his name.
Name for the movie - 'Wheels of Life'.
"Chained to the wheel"?
But I bow - that is gold There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.0
