Boonen could face six-month ban
Eurosport - Tue, 12 May 20:21:00 2009
Tom Boonen faces a suspension of up to six months and is certain to miss the Tour de France after failing an out-of-competition test for cocaine, cycling officials said.
It is the Belgian's second offence in 12 months after he also tested positive for the same substance in an out-of-competition control last year.
When the Quick Step rider's latest positive test was announced on Saturday the UCI said Boonen would not be punished by the governing body "since the use of cocaine out of competition is not subject to sanctions".
However, the UCI said on Tuesday: "The behaviour of Tom Boonen, even though it does not constitute a violation of the anti-doping rules, can be considered unacceptable and liable to harm the image, reputation or interests of cycling or the UCI.
"This infringement is punishable by a suspension of one to six months," cycling's governing body added.
Tour de France organisers reacted to the UCI announcement by saying Boonen would take no part in the July 4-26 race.
"Obviously he cannot be on the Tour de France starting line. We are not talking about a rider any more but about a man who needs to be treated," Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme told Reuters.
Boonen, who won the road world championships in 2005, had been targeting the green jersey for the Tour's best sprinter.
Quick Step had already suspended the rider for "an unspecified period of time" and said he would have to follow psychological or psychiatric treatment.
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Comment 1 - 8 of 8
I am not an expert on the effects of this drug on performance.
I think the UCI have the balance right, and he either needs treatment or addresses it himself. If he was allowed in the Tour, then next year we might get coke trained cyclists from out of season practice, it does seem to give people a driving mentality.
It's extraordinary the ambivelance among some cycling fans with regards doping and illegal substances.
For God's sake,Tom Simpson died from the effects of using banned substances-but many still consider him
some kind of hero instead of a cheat. Pantani was a cheat-why is he still revered by so many.
My mother in her wisdom used to warn " if you burn your arse you'll have to sit on the blisters" Any rider
who gets involved in banned or illegar substances should know,if caught,they will face punishment.
Sionnach35
Would Boonen be banned if he used other social drugs such as nicotine or alcohol, while not racing?
Well, I think the main thing for Tom would be to look around at the folks he's boozing with, especially the ones who offer the lines of coke, and make a decision to cut them out of his social circle, no matter how close they are. That's if he wants cycling over coke that is, big decision. Give me a belgian beer any day! Cycling is hard work!!!
i think quick step should get rid of him. bad role model, bad for cycling and bad for his team. he's let everyone down.
i think he wants the "rockstar" lifestyle rather than the cyclists. he made his chooice and now he should just bow out for respect for everyone\(including himself)
Pretty major for Boonen and family that he's been 'outed'. I think he's taking the right approach in his comments.
But am I the only one who thinks this issue is fairly trivial as far as cycling's concerned?
I'd rather have him in the TdF.
The picture associated with this article is a little bit in bad taste. Makes me think he is wiping off the evidence. worldwidetifosi blogspot com
"Obviously he cannot be on the Tour de France starting line." - It was starting lines where he went wrong!
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