Robbie McEwan Refuses New Katusha Anti-Doping Rules

all show no go

Just clocked this on the Eurosport site. I suppose it's a strong statement of intent for the teams owners and backers. Perhaps this will be introduced elsewhere. A huge fine may put off just a few methinks....

PARIS (AFP) - Three prominent members of the Katusha cycling team are refusing to comply with new anti-doping rules imposed by the Russian-backed outfit, a team official said on Sunday.

The trio who are refusing to sign contracts including the new conditions are Australian Robbie McEwen and Belgians Gert Steegmans and Kenny De Haes, Katusha's sporting director Serge Parsani told AFP.

Under the stringent new conditions, racers testing positive would have to pay a fine amounting to five times their annual salary.

"This is an internal protocol which we see as a guarantee for the team," said Parsani. "It would be unacceptable to see a single rider putting the future of sixty people at risk," he added.

The team brought in the new rules three weeks ago after one its its riders, Christian Pfannberger of Austria, was tested positive last month.

Steegmans is under contract to race in the Dauphine race starting at Nancy in eastern France today (Sunday) and Parsani said he expected the Belgian to complete the event. "But after that, we shall see," he noted.

Steegmans was quoted in Belgian media on Sunday as saying he made a counter-proposition to Katusha management, under which any postive-testing rider would pay compensation to the team.

Tom Butcher

I can't see that many people would be happy to sign that contract - especially for established riders it'd be asking them to not only end their career but ruin themselves financially.

leguape

Poster on BBC 606 who lives in Belgium/speaks Dutch suggesting it might be the choice of wording:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A52689379

Might be that it's not saying if they test positive but rather if they "discredit" the team which offers a rider all the protection that Gusev enjoyed at Astana last season. Coming from a team that signed Pfannberger knowing his past, it does seem a bit horse/stable door.

Also looks like almost all the reporting is coming off one AFP wire, not always the most reliable or accurate of sources but certainly one of the first to file. It'll be interesting to see what the more considered reporting turns up once people have had sight of the document.

donrhummy

That is ridiculous. They can bring a suit against a rider who tests positive but saying they need to pay 5 times their salary is ridiculous and rife for issues. I mean, if they team is having financial trouble and looks like they'll need to fold, what's to stop them from slipping something into the drink of some of the riders? they'd make a profit doing that.

This is something that should be handled by the UCI.

SpaceJunk

Tom Butcher wrote:

I can't see that many people would be happy to sign that contract - especially for established riders it'd be asking them to not only end their career but ruin themselves financially.

Well I reckon if a rider fails a dope test that should be the end of their career.

Alex_Simmons/RST

In a material breach of a contract it is pretty normal to have some liability exposure but 5 times the annual value of the contract would be unusual in my experience. It is pretty common for the liability to have a limit of the value of the contract, either in whole or an annual value.

In normal commercial life I wouldn't sign such a contract. Doesn't mean I have any greater intent to commit a material breach though.

I can understand the desire to have a large stick though, as one breach can jeapordise sponsorship support and the jobs of many people.

Tom Butcher

SpaceJunk wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

I can't see that many people would be happy to sign that contract - especially for established riders it'd be asking them to not only end their career but ruin themselves financially.

Well I reckon if a rider fails a dope test that should be the end of their career.

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that - it was more the ruin themselves financially bit that seemed excessive. There's always a chance of a rider mistakenly taking a banned substance or who knows - maybe a lab messing up a test or even a malicious nobbling of a rider.

Kléber

A media stunt from Katusha. By all means "make riders pay" but the penalty process here will only work to the benefit of contract lawyers.

The team would be better off creating a transparent internal anti-doping programme and reviewing their recruitment policy, eg signing the likes of Sergei Ivanov, but this actually involves time and effort.

redddraggon

Where would the likes of the junior and lower paid likely to get 5x their salary from anyway?

Set up a direct debit? Who'd give them a loan?

Can't blame them for not signing it, it's ludicrous.

redddraggon

Apparantly Robbie McEwan has signed it now:

Robbie McEwan on Twitter wrote:

I have now signed the new anti-doping charter of Team Katusha after receiving advice on legal implications, pros & cons. 100% drug free!