Tankink makes a good point

donrhummy
donrhummy Posts: 2,329
edited July 2009 in Pro race
Tankink has perhaps the best quote of the last 5 years in cycling. Apparently, he's been filling out his "whereabouts" forms correctly and accurately EVERY time. Yet, the UCI has shown up to the wrong place THREE times! (They've admitted it was their mistake and that Tankink is right) So Tankink said:
Why do I fill it in? I am furious and that is putting it mildly. I recommend two years suspension for them!

But seriously, he's right. It's a bit unfair. If he makes a mistake on his whereabouts form, he can be suspended and eventually (with enough mistakes) kicked out of cycling for two years. But if the UCI makes a mistake (or 3), they simply have to do...nothing. I can imagine the stress it must cause for a rider who keeps being told he's got a strike against him for not being there for a test when he's filled out his form correctly. Ridiculous.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tankink ... ontrollers

Comments

  • Angus444
    Angus444 Posts: 141
    Agree!!

    Once is a mistake, but three times is totally unacceptable. Especially when riders livelihoods are at stake.

    Finger out, UCI!!!!
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Amazing. Mention an article about a rider getting his whereabouts wrong ONCE and there's 400 posts in this forum. But when it's the UCI getting it wrong THREE times, we get one post.

    This really doesn't concern anyone?
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    There's no point having a system if the riders don't respect and trust it as workable, competent and fair. Major blunder from the Vampires.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • diarmuid
    diarmuid Posts: 73
    donrhummy wrote:
    Amazing. Mention an article about a rider getting his whereabouts wrong ONCE and there's 400 posts in this forum. But when it's the UCI getting it wrong THREE times, we get one post.

    This really doesn't concern anyone?

    It's clearly poor behaviour but you surely see the difference between the UCI getting the whereabouts wrong and the rider doing the same?
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Spot the difference:
    - a tester turns up in the wrong place three times, that's a waste of petrol and a paperwork failure.
    - an athlete misses three tests then this represents a serious challenge to the credibility of the system and raises questions about the individual
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,485
    I agree with Kléber on this one, an inspector being in the wrong place at the wrong time is very different from an athlete doing the same.

    Given how cohesive an organisation the UCI is, and how well it co-operates with other anti-doping organisations, I'd be astonished if this wasn't a regular occurence.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    andyp wrote:
    I agree with Kléber on this one, an inspector being in the wrong place at the wrong time is very different from an athlete doing the same.

    Given how cohesive an organisation the UCI is, and how well it co-operates with other anti-doping organisations, I'd be astonished if this wasn't a regular occurence.

    But what message does it send out? That they are so anti doping they can't read and process a form correctly? That if they don't care about cleaning up the sport why should I? That They simply aren't bothered about catching cheats?

    Also, what the hell kind of respect does it show for the riders who spend their time completing forms and sticking by them when you then can't turn up at the right time and place AND then try and pin it on him?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    It shows there are bureaucratic mix-ups. It's the same argument when you fill in an income tax declaration or make a benefit claim: if you screw up, you can get a whopping fine and even go to prison; if the Inland Revenue make a "clerical error", nothing happens.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,485
    Where does it say they tried to pin this on Tankink? I think you're reading too much into this, it was an error. They happen in life.
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    Kléber wrote:
    Spot the difference:
    - a tester turns up in the wrong place three times, that's a waste of petrol and a paperwork failure.
    - an athlete misses three tests then this represents a serious challenge to the credibility of the system and raises questions about the individual

    Sort of. It's more like:

    - a tester turns up in the wrong place three times, the rider is suspended and his team witholds his salary, the news gets a hold of the story and reports it, the rider hires a lawyer and spends his own money to inform the UCI of the mistake, after many inquiries the rider is found innocent, the newspaper prints a retraction on page 45

    vs

    - an athlete misses three tests then this represents a serious challenge to the credibility of the system and raises questions about the individual
  • Meds1962
    Meds1962 Posts: 391
    andyp wrote:
    Where does it say they tried to pin this on Tankink? I think you're reading too much into this, it was an error. They happen in life.

    +1

    People make mistakes. All they can do is apologise, look at their procedures to see why it went wrong and take whatever action is needed to imprive things.
    O na bawn i fel LA
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Meds1962 wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Where does it say they tried to pin this on Tankink? I think you're reading too much into this, it was an error. They happen in life.

    +1

    People make mistakes. All they can do is apologise, look at their procedures to see why it went wrong and take whatever action is needed to imprive things.

    It happening 3 times to one guy would suggest they're not improving matters.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • donrhummy
    donrhummy Posts: 2,329
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Meds1962 wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Where does it say they tried to pin this on Tankink? I think you're reading too much into this, it was an error. They happen in life.

    +1

    People make mistakes. All they can do is apologise, look at their procedures to see why it went wrong and take whatever action is needed to imprive things.

    It happening 3 times to one guy would suggest they're not improving matters.

    Exactly. It feels like everyone's comments would be spot on if this had happened ONCE. but it happened THREE times. Someone's not taking this seriously and not respecting how much this disrupts Tankink's life and job.
  • Meds1962
    Meds1962 Posts: 391
    3 times to one rider sound out of the ordinary.
    O na bawn i fel LA

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