Christophe Bassons gets a one year ban.....

blazing_saddles

Yes, just when you thought things couldn't get more crazy:
http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-rout ... -an/320914

https://twitter.com/inrng

Bassons was riding the French MTB marathon champs and abandoned, then drove home. But he was picked for a post-race control and didn't know.

Turfle

Evidently if you miss a post-race control it's an immediate suspension.

The clinic isn't its usual quick responding self this morning.

(edit: to clarify that, not for a second do I think Bassons was doping.)

rick_chasey

Haaa!

Take that Walsh.

MrTapir

i did not see that one coming.

Can he appeal it? or will he just be like 'meh'?

ddraver

Erm....well yeah...

Rules is rules I suppose and the UCI have done the maximum allowable under the WADA code to let him off...

Still, doesnt sit well.

As a background anecdote. Two of my friends were racing the mixed Pairs at Sleepless in the Saddle this year and gave up on the 24hr race at midnight as the course was so muddy it was just absurd (commonplace at SITS, and a large majority of the field also couldnt be bothered either). They left at 10am the next mornign and the race finished at 2pm. They discovered a week later that they had finished 3rd and missed out on a podium celebration, free "personalised" jerseys and a few other nice prizes.

None of that is relevant other than leaving 24hr races (and i doubt he was racing for the win, although maybe in the "Masters Class") well before the finish is hardly uncommon!

skylla

I know who's laughing!

RichN95.

Turfle wrote:

The clinic isn't its usual quick responding self this morning.

They're starting to get the conspiracy theories going now.

andrewjoseph

I thought you had to miss 3 controls in 18 months to be suspended.

Turfle

andrewjoseph wrote:

I thought you had to miss 3 controls in 18 months to be suspended.

3 out of competition tests, or 1 in competition test.

Stops riders getting word that they're going to be tested and abandoning the race as a result.

andrewjoseph

Turfle wrote:

andrewjoseph wrote:

I thought you had to miss 3 controls in 18 months to be suspended.

3 out of competition tests, or 1 in competition test.

Stops riders getting word that they're going to be tested and abandoning the race as a result.

thanks.

dolan_driver

Caution: Conspiracy Theory alert!

1. Levi Leipheimer gets shown the door after admitting his role in Lance-gate.

2. Christophe Basons gets suspended for a year for what appears to be an innocuous breach of the regulations
(Yes, rules are rules).

Could it be that Lance has called in a few favours from a couple of his remaining buddies back in Europe? It sounds outlandish but Leipheimer certainly expresses some fear during the course of this interview about possible repercussions from the Armstrong camp.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20 ... ?p=5&tc=pg

Fillipo Simeoni had better watch out!

DD.

Turfle

I wouldn't call missing an in race doping control "innocuous breach of regulations".

More likely, Bassons missed a random doping control for entirely innocent reasons, and was given the most lenient possible suspension. Armstrong has absolutely nothing to gain by nobbling Bassons at this point.

You miss a doping control you get sanctioned, no matter who you are. That's what we want, isn't it?

ju5t1n

I thought Bassons had retired years ago. What level is he racing at?

frenchfighter

Dolan Driver wrote:

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20121016/ARTICLES/121019643?p=5&tc=pg

Tks for the link - it is a good read.

PD: What percentage of the peloton was doping from 1999-2007?

LL: It was the majority. I'll say that much. It depends on the time of the year. At the Tour de France? It was the overwhelming majority. It definitely was above 50 percent. Today, it's pure speculation but I gotta think it's less than five percent. That's just my feeling. Maybe I'm being naïve.

dolan_driver

Turfle wrote:

You miss a doping control you get sanctioned, no matter who you are. That's what we want, isn't it?

Roger that.

DD.

ddraver

ju5t1n wrote:

I thought Bassons had retired years ago. What level is he racing at?

I dunno about France but Marathon XC is not a particularly popular type of cycling so he did nt have the be that serious* to be competitive at a Masters level. My house met met one Laurent Brochard at the Le Mans 24hr cycling race too. He could also have been racing for fun or just as an advert for the race.

*That said, the people that do are phenomonal riders!

EDIT - It was not a 24hr race but a marathon, he abandoned 20km from the end. (slightly more strange, but...)

Le Commentateur

It's a set-up. When do they do the picking?

rob churchill

Dolan Driver wrote:

Turfle wrote:

You miss a doping control you get sanctioned, no matter who you are. That's what we want, isn't it?

Roger that.

DD.

Can't argue with that. But according to http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bassons-handed-one-year-suspension he wasn't asked to attend doping control until two and a half hours after he'd abandoned. How long is normal? how long is reasonable?

jerry3571

I think Bassons has been given a kick up the @rse for his troubles. This is like the last few moves of long drawn out game of chess with LA vs the Trolls. I'd love to know the inside line on all this.

Glad I just watch and read about this stuff. All getting a bit tricky. Is this cycling's End of Days or just LA's??

Jerry

LangerDan

jerry3571 wrote:

I think Bassons has been given a kick up the @rse for his troubles. This is like the last few moves of long drawn out game of chess with LA vs the Trolls. I'd love to know the inside line on all this.

Glad I just watch and read about this stuff. All getting a bit tricky. Is this cycling's End of Days or just LA's??

Jerry

Lance must be truly incredible if he can get the French Federation - who probably hate his guts - to apply a sanction to a rider for a missed test that took place over a month before the USADA report was released.

skylla

wiggle?

jerry3571

How little we know.
LA/JB seemed to have had a lot of helpful people at the Tour de France, Dauphine etc so whether in France or wherever, LA/JB cast a large shadow.
Maybe a switch of name in the random testing, inserting Basson's name?? Who knows?? Convenient timing though.

Jerry

PS- If Team Sky get pulled around like USPS/Disco then it'll be bringing it on with News Corporation. A Company who scared off and dictated to many heads of state. Could be fun!

frenchfighter

Sense has been reached and he has been cleared.