Christophe Bassons : charged and banned

[thom]

Well, this is just bonkers. Through google translator:

This happened during the Championnat de France bike marathon, which took place on September 1st at Langon (Ille-et-Vilaine). "I gave up running twenty kilometers from the finish, says former professional cyclist (...). When I stopped, a person in the organization has asked my name down my bib number and immediately informed the PC of the race. I recognize the error of not having waited until the end of the race to see if my name appeared on the list of riders to control. I took the road to Bordeaux (...), and it is only two and a half hours after my desertion that I received a call from the timekeeper of the race saying that I had to be checked. It was too late to return to the place of trial. Why do I have does not tell you much earlier? Why so heavy a penalty? I do not understand. "

Apparently he got the maximum reduction of 50% from the possible 2y ban.

 

[Buddfox]

You couldn't make it up!!

 

[Red Light]

That's the new world that's been created. And now having a ban for a doping control failure, he probably won't get a seat in a team again. Crazy I agree but an unintended consequence of what people were wishing for.

 

[thom]

For people who don't know who Christophe Bassons is, take a look at his wikipedia entry.

After cycling

In 2000 he published his autobiography Positif and in 2001 he qualified as a sports teacher and began teaching. He now works for the ministry of youth and sport at Bordeaux, in charge of drug tests.[23]

 

[raindog]

LOL

 

[007fair]

That's the new world that's been created. And now having a ban for a doping control failure, he probably won't get a seat in a team again. Crazy I agree but an unintended consequence of what people were wishing for.

You make it sound like 'what people were wishing for' is not worth it.

 

[Red Light]

"Bassons, who now works as a sports professor for the French ministry of sport and spends up to half of his time trying to prevent doping....."​

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/201...sons-not-bitter-lance-armstrong?newsfeed=true​

​

All the less excuse for not knowing the doping control rules.

 

[ColinJ]

LOL

It may be ironic, but it certainly is not funny!

 

[Red Light]

You make it sound like 'what people were wishing for' is not worth it.

I'm not sure it is. A clean sport now is worth it but we were getting that already absent a few hiccups like the Olympic Mens Road Race Gold. And a few months ago cycling was heading towards a bright new clean future with the likes of Wiggo and Cav and others. But then Tygart decided to open Pandora's history Box and cycling, or at least road cycling, has become extremely toxic once more in the press and public conscience. It may give the satisfaction of settling some old scores but its shot the new emerging sport of clean cycling comprehensively in both feet.

 

[raindog]

It may be ironic, but it certainly is not funny!

Yes it is. And I'm a big fan of Bassons.

 

[ColinJ]

Yes it is. And I'm a big fan of Bassons.

I'll let you off if he is laughing about it!

 

[Scoosh]

It's not even ironic - it's crazy ....

... or maybe someone has used the opportunity to get back at him and discredit him.

What a sad, sorry mess.

 

[thom]

It's not even ironic - it's crazy ....

... or maybe someone has used the opportunity to get back at him and discredit him.

What a sad, sorry mess.

It's probably not sinister, possibly a very unfortunate accident in the way the rules were implemented on the day.
It's just sad that in a sense he is twice the victim of doping :
first in the harshest way from LA
second through an accidental infringement of the rules put in place to tackle doping (in which he is an expert)

Missing in competition tests get automatic bans, out of competition tests you can miss 3 times before getting an automatic ban.

 

[raindog]

Seriously though, this is bonkers. LA can get away with serial doping for a decade without a scratch, and a known clean rider like Bassons gets a 12 month ban. FFS.

 

[thom]

Inrng article, with more reliable translations