Thursday, 8 January 2009

Turning of the Page

... Page would be facing no problems if those same rules applied to in-competition testing, but they don’t. Rule 14 provides a 60-paragraph outline of precisely what riders have to do when it comes to testing at a competition. Under those rules, the UCI spells out in mind-numbing detail what is required — the precise steps by which someone actually fills the cup and who must observe. The rules also describe the means and methods by which a rider is notified. Detailed as it is, the bottom line is that the onus is largely on the rider.

Missing an in-competition test — just one, not the three that apply to out-of-competition tests — counts as a doping violation. It’s the same rule, you might recall, that earned Geneviève Jeanson her first doping violation, for missing a test after the finish of the 2004 edition of Flèche Wallonne in Belgium.

That said, the burden isn’t entirely on the rider to just show up and start peeing without a reason to do so. The rules do require notice:

The organizer and the Anti-Doping Inspector shall ensure that a list of the Riders who are required to appear for Sample collection shall be displayed at the finish line and at the entrance of the doping control station before the finish of the winner.

More Here


Bottom Line:
Every junior knows this; you check and recheck the posting board, the coach constantly checks the board, the cook, the driver, and the Athletic Therapists and your Mommy incessantly make sure to look for updates on the board! Don’t hold your breath, I don’t think Page’s excuse will wash.

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