Former U.S. cyclocross champion Jonathan Page has been notified that he missed an anti-doping test at the World Cup at Koksijde, Belgium, on November 29.
UCI anti-doping officials have forwarded a report of the missed test to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for review. UCI anti-doping coordinator Peter Van den Abeele told the Belgian website Sport.be that Page failed to appear for a drug test despite being notified that he had been randomly selected.
Page, however, said that he had not heard anything about the test until he was informed that he had missed it three weeks later.
Page’s wife Cori said that she and her husband stayed around the finish at Koksijde and would have easily been found had UCI testers simply asked.
“We were still in the parking lot when the race finished and the racers were heading back to their vehicles,” Cori Page wrote on the couple’s web site, http://www.thejonathanpage.com/.
“We stopped at the race headquarters where Jonathan had to pick up his travel money. No one said anything and when we asked them on the phone over the last few days, they said they didn’t say anything because they didn’t know! We believe them.
It’s strange though because the only other time I’ve been present when a rider didn’t show up for doping control, the organizers, officials, racers, soigneurs, everyone, was trying to get that guy to report. His name was repeatedly announced. They sent people to find him and many people, including a friend of ours, called his phone. That guy missed it on purpose. Fresh off a two-year suspension for doping, he was at it again. He got the luxury of every opportunity to show up. Jonathan got none.”
The case is slated for review by USADA, which could issue a warning or impose a suspension following a review of statements from UCI testers and Page.
Page was expected to be named to the U.S. team to the world championships, slated for February 1 in Hoogerheide, in the Netherlands. Page finished second at the world championships in 2007.
USA Cycling is expected to name its elite men’s squad next month. Governing body officials could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
UCI anti-doping officials have forwarded a report of the missed test to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for review. UCI anti-doping coordinator Peter Van den Abeele told the Belgian website Sport.be that Page failed to appear for a drug test despite being notified that he had been randomly selected.
Page, however, said that he had not heard anything about the test until he was informed that he had missed it three weeks later.
Page’s wife Cori said that she and her husband stayed around the finish at Koksijde and would have easily been found had UCI testers simply asked.
“We were still in the parking lot when the race finished and the racers were heading back to their vehicles,” Cori Page wrote on the couple’s web site, http://www.thejonathanpage.com/.
“We stopped at the race headquarters where Jonathan had to pick up his travel money. No one said anything and when we asked them on the phone over the last few days, they said they didn’t say anything because they didn’t know! We believe them.
It’s strange though because the only other time I’ve been present when a rider didn’t show up for doping control, the organizers, officials, racers, soigneurs, everyone, was trying to get that guy to report. His name was repeatedly announced. They sent people to find him and many people, including a friend of ours, called his phone. That guy missed it on purpose. Fresh off a two-year suspension for doping, he was at it again. He got the luxury of every opportunity to show up. Jonathan got none.”
The case is slated for review by USADA, which could issue a warning or impose a suspension following a review of statements from UCI testers and Page.
Page was expected to be named to the U.S. team to the world championships, slated for February 1 in Hoogerheide, in the Netherlands. Page finished second at the world championships in 2007.
USA Cycling is expected to name its elite men’s squad next month. Governing body officials could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
By VeloNews.comPosted Dec. 27, 2008
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Worried Page back racing
One day after the news that Jonathan Page had missed a doping control at the cyclo-cross World Cup race in Koksijde the American lined up at the start of the Superprestige race in Diegem, near Brussels. Before the start of the race Page repeated the explanation his wife Cori had sent into the world, that it was nothing more than a stupid mistake, again going through that day and talking about the frame-breaking crash that forced him to abandon that race.
"I hope it's going to be okay but I don't have a lot of faith in it. I just want this nightmare to be over," Page said. "Because of this I'm surely missing out on the day that matters most, the world championships, since it's impossible that I would be selected and to me that is a massive blow."
When asked what will happen if he receives a suspension, the former silver medalist at the world championships of 2007 said he would retire. "Then it's all over."
"I hope it's going to be okay but I don't have a lot of faith in it. I just want this nightmare to be over," Page said. "Because of this I'm surely missing out on the day that matters most, the world championships, since it's impossible that I would be selected and to me that is a massive blow."
When asked what will happen if he receives a suspension, the former silver medalist at the world championships of 2007 said he would retire. "Then it's all over."
When asked what will happen if he receives a suspension, the former silver medalist at the world championships of 2007 said he would retire. "Then it's all over."
After the race in Diegem Cyclingnews caught up with Page again and asked him how he had felt during the hectic evening race near Brussels. "It felt good to be out there as every race can be my last one nowadays. I could get rid of a lot of anger. I saved something for tomorrow because Middelkerke has a course that suits me quite well; I will be better tomorrow," Page said. He finished as runner-up during the past two years.
During the evening race in Diegem, the 32-year-old crashed during the third lap when the rider in front of him hit an imprudent spectator. Page continued the race, though, showing his technical skills by completing the sand pit on his bike twice and eventually finished 28th. "I fell down pretty hard and I was glad to notice that I didn't crack any ribs"
After the race in Diegem Cyclingnews caught up with Page again and asked him how he had felt during the hectic evening race near Brussels. "It felt good to be out there as every race can be my last one nowadays. I could get rid of a lot of anger. I saved something for tomorrow because Middelkerke has a course that suits me quite well; I will be better tomorrow," Page said. He finished as runner-up during the past two years.
During the evening race in Diegem, the 32-year-old crashed during the third lap when the rider in front of him hit an imprudent spectator. Page continued the race, though, showing his technical skills by completing the sand pit on his bike twice and eventually finished 28th. "I fell down pretty hard and I was glad to notice that I didn't crack any ribs"
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