Jurgen van den Broeck admits visiting doctor under investigation but denies wrongdoing
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johnr
Über Member
- Location
- Grand depart 2014 county (east)
... loved the bit about having to use him because ordinary GPs don't know what they can prescribe cyclists for sinusitis... clearly the UCI needs to find a roster of European physicians who can read a list. And quick.
I don't think there are many grounds to suspect VDM based on this, seems an honest rider to me unless I have missed something somewhere
I actually strongly believe that the average "just-around-the-corner" house doctor doesn't know every single ingredient of every possible nosespray, cough syrup,... (and therefore whether or not it would get Vdb into trouble) so I think it does make sense to go to a close-by sports doctor instead of a common house doctor.
That being said, I of course don't know if it's just a very good and honest argument or if there's more to it.
But as Montage has said, we have never heard Vdb being suspected of anything (except for being maniacally busy with riding and because of that not always very "cheery" in his replies to the press
), so for the moment I wouldn't look too deep into it. I guess if the investigators would have any suspicions around Vdb, Tom Meeusen wouldn't be the only pro-biker being interrogated.oldroadman
Veteran
- Location
- Ubique
A high percentage of "ordinary" doctors don't seem to have complete knowledge of the constituents of everything they might prescribe, but generally pharmacists are mush better informed. When consulting a doctor, the first person would usually be the team medic, who as part of his/her job would be required to know what was in various medecines that was not allowed under WADA rules. Failing that a sport specialist and top class pharmacist has to be the next route, simply to protect yourself. It's too easy to be careless and end up with a silly positive from a prescription that any non-sports person would take without a care. As a professional (or any sports person) you have to be responsible for what is in your body, and make sure you stay clean all the time. So whilst it can look odd, there can be a very good reason for the specialist route, although in the current climate it can be read entirely wrongly by some people.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I thought teams had rules that riders were only allowed to use their team doctor? If not, then that would be a very sensible rule to introduce. Make the teams responsible for the doctor, and the riders responsible for only using him/her.
So if you live in London, and your team doctor lives in Venice.... that is some expensive cough syrup if you need to follow your team doctor around the globe for every niggle! Something like "UCI accredited" doctors could be a good idea, but I guess thats what a sports doctor is in essence anyway
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Ok, let's have accredited doctors then. That would do, provided that the doctors are banned if they get caught breaking the rules.
400bhp
Guru
That would make sense wouldn't it - I wonder if the issue is more on the profession side rather than on the UCI/sports side, i.e. the medical profession won't allow it?
johnr
Über Member
- Location
- Grand depart 2014 county (east)
Come on! We're talking about a highly paid professional sportsman with a full back up team. If he had any doubts about his doctor's ability to prescribe for sinusitis he should (at least) have spoken to the team physician. They could either have sorted it out for him, or spoken to the local doctor. The very last thing a pro-cyclist can do these days, is visit a dodgy physician without questions being asked. And I, for one, don't believe that hasn't been made very clear to every member of every team which wants to cycle clean.
Good point, but it's not like Vdb has visited doctor Fuentes here. This was a respected doctor, who has a lot of athletes visiting him and (until 2 weeks ago) was never mentioned in any investigation or suspicious activities. It's kinda hard to know he's dodgy, if he has never been called out as being dodgy.
I do like the "accredited doctors" proposal here, since the team doctor(s) will never be available for each member of a team throughout the full year. Create like a "training course" which they have to pass and make them sign a "no-cheating" contract with a big fine/penalty tied to it.
400bhp
Guru
You think the medical profession would go for that..in their eyes it would imply they weren't already up to the job.....
