Doping git thread

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smutchin

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
mjray said:
Never sure what I think about that: it's a missed test, not a positive, but you wouldn't know that from how some people treat it :rolleyes:
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A missed test is grounds for suspicion, even if you have a seemingly plausible excuse. And in any case, if you've got your microdosing right, there's no real need to miss a test anyway.

Marmion said:
I find it strange that the testers just went "aye ok then, we'll not bother" when the hotel staff said they would not contact Froome rather than say "listen matey boy, you want to "protect" your guests yeh? Well get his arse down here pronto or he's in deep shoot..."
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To be fair, I imagine you have to be a pretty strong personality to get a job as desk staff at the kind of hotel Froome can afford to stay in.
 
raindog

raindog

er.....
Location
France
Seems a bit odd that the testers didn't just hang around a bit untill he came down for breakfast....
 
Hont

Hont

Guru
Location
Bromsgrove
raindog said:
Seems a bit odd that the testers didn't just hang around a bit untill he came down for breakfast....
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They would have to assume that their appearance would be known to the riders (whether that is the case or not) having identified themselves, so waiting and giving enough time to drink loads of water/take a masking agent etc is not really an option. It's the same protocol as not letting riders out of their sight once the test has been notified.

Marmion said:
I find it strange that the testers just went "aye ok then, we'll not bother" when the hotel staff said they would not contact Froome rather than say "listen matey boy, you want to "protect" your guests yeh? Well get his arse down here pronto or he's in deep shoot..."
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It's the rider's responsibility to make themselves available, not the testers to go and find them. And they can't start arguing with Hotel staff as once you're in that scenario you could, as above, be delaying the test. The protocol is the rider is available immediately or it's a missed test.
 
HF2300

HF2300

Insanity Prawn Boy
raindog said:
Seems a bit odd that the testers didn't just hang around a bit untill he came down for breakfast....
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I think rightly or wrongly, the attitude is well you've notified a slot, you're weren't available in that slot, you've missed your test - for good reason. I'd imagine the testers have plenty to do other than waiting around to see if athletes show up outside their allotted time.
 
Hont

Hont

Guru
Location
Bromsgrove
smutchin

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
Hont said:
Missing a test is quite easy, that's why you need to miss three before any sanction.
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I may have mentioned that...

smutchin said:
The system allows for up to three missed tests, presumably to take account of genuine no-fault cases such as this appears to be.
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...but missing a test is still grounds for suspicion. It may well be easy to miss a test but as Froome rightly says, it's his responsibility to make sure he doesn't. It's a fundamental part of his job. Same goes for any athlete. Froome's excuse sounds plausible but that doesn't let him off the hook.

Rio Ferdinand was banned after missing just one test, but then his excuse was even lamer than not hearing the doorbell.

Cav missed a test in 2011 for example, to considerably less censure...
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Censure? Where? The Mirror piece isn't censuring Froome and the comments in this thread have praised his attitude - especially for the stark contrast between his comments and Mo Farah's.

Gaining access to confidential information when the athlete has not actually done anything wrong.
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He has done something wrong - he missed a mandatory out of competition drug test. Whether or not he has done anything wrong beyond that is a moot point.

Also your phrase "gaining access to confidential information" suggests you suspect underhand methods. I know the Mirror don't have a great track record in that department but that would be pure supposition. Unless you know their source?

The point is that wherever they got the information, they have given Froome a chance to put his side of the story and published a fair and balanced story on the back of it - and because he verified the missed test, they don't need to quote any other source. If there even was one. It is possible that it was a purely speculative question that Froome has chosen to answer candidly.
 
Dogtrousers

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
Surely the testers should just call his mobile, and circumvent the hotel front desk. He does have a mobile, I presume. Or am I expecting too much in the way of common sense?

I expect the Clinic are in fits of glee at this as clear and irrefutable evidence that he's doped up. ^_^ (Not that I necessarily believe he isn't mind.)
 
C

Crackle

..
Dogtrousers said:
Surely the testers should just call his mobile, and circumvent the hotel front desk. He does have a mobile, I presume. Or am I expecting too much in the way of common sense?
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They might have but if it was me it would be in a draw switched off overnight. The damn things tend to bleep at funny moments, so it doesn't get taken to bed.
 
Dogtrousers

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
Crackle said:
They might have but if it was me it would be in a draw switched off overnight. The damn things tend to bleep at funny moments, so it doesn't get taken to bed.
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But you don't need to be contactable by WADA.

Anyway, it's a bit of nothing I think. He seems to have been quite candid about it. I expect this will be a smallish lesson learned for Froome.

Cav mentioned his missed test in his not very interesting autobiog. I think he ended up firing his assistant over the screw up that led to it. Or maybe the tedious book sent me to sleep and I dreamt that bit.
 
Pro Tour Punditry

Pro Tour Punditry

Guru
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andrew_s

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
Dogtrousers said:
Interesting. "Testing cannot be done without warning if your phone alerts you first." Makes sense.
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They don't seem to worry about the door bell alerting you first though.
I'd have thought that you'd get as much "preparation" time ignoring the bell for half an hour as you would answering your phone.
If you've put down the 6 am to 7 am slot, it's only going to be the testers or the postman that rings the bell, and you should mostly know if you are in line for receiving a parcel.
 
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