Lance the Francophile

[Bollo]

Caught this in the gruniad today - here it is online.

Depending on your point of view, it seems that either...

(a) Lance is being a paranoid, hypersensitive control freak with a suspect conscience or
( The French have it in for Mellow Johnny and are trying to drive L'American out of the TdF or
(c) Both of the above
(d) My lawyers require me to say neither of the above.

 

[Crackle]

I read that today. Seems something of nowt really.

 

[Bollo]

I read that today. Seems something of nowt really.

Yeah, my feelings as well. What would be interesting would be to find out who was 'pushing' it as a story.

 

[Noodley]

Yeah, my feelings as well. What would be interesting would be to find out who was 'pushing' it as a story.

Look at answer a) above

 

[John the Monkey]

I think the nub of things is that his Lanceness should not have been let out of sight of the tester until the sample had been given. I reckon that's the tester's fault rather than Bruyneel or Armstrong's, but both the latter have *surely* been around long enough to a) know what the procedure is and know what happens within a particular agency's jurisdiction. Surely?

I'd say write the test off, and add another out of competition test to the Texan one's schedule, although that's far too simple, and not much of a story. Certainly not a story in which an evil French lab conspires to discredit a genuine hero, anyroad. (Or a Texan bent on destroying French cycling foils the efforts of the AFLD to keep the sport squeaky clean).

 

[Keith Oates]

If Armstrong's account of what happened is correct then I think he had every right to check the validity of the tester. Why this was then printed and blown up in the press only confirms to me that none of the press are being helpful to the sport of cycling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dayvo]

I agree with Keith!

And not Noodley!

 

[yello]

Storm in a tasse de thé. And I predict more storms. Expect more show downs as the TdF nears. But then you hardly need to be a genius to predict that!

 

[TheDoctor]

I think if Random Bloke wanted to take a blood sample from me I'd want to see some ID first!!!!!

 

[yenrod]

I can't see anything wrong with...

>Armstrong's team asked to see tester's credentials.

The great and the good do get dirty - you know

..ie the Queen does take a shoot !

 

[John the Monkey]

I think if Random Bloke wanted to take a blood sample from me I'd want to see some ID first!!!!!

Well, likewise, but then I'm not a professional sportsman who (one would think) is used to the frequency of out of competition testing.

The story is something of nothing - although I find it disturbing that the Armstrong/Bruyneel take on it is along the lines of "French labs are evil, they're all out to get me".

 

[mondobongo]

No problem with asking Tester to produce ID. Strange comments to make though about not knowing the AFLD reporting to the French government and being unfamiliar with the ID/Paperwork would have thought given the time he has been around and tested would have come across it before. You would certainly expect Bruyneel as Team Manager to be familiar with it.

 

[yello]

I think if Random Bloke wanted to take a blood sample from me I'd want to see some ID first!!!!!

Indeed. And there's nothing to say (not as I read it anyway) that the tester had a problem with that. I don't know what the "misbehaviour" allegations relate to.

It's all a bit silly really.

 

[John the Monkey]

...I don't know what the "misbehaviour" allegations relate to.

The tester shouldn't have let Mr. Armstrong out of his sight until the sample(s) had been given.

It doesn't seem to be mentioned in any of the later stories, but was in the first I saw concerning this incident;

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ahNHineE8XuY

the Agence Francaise de Lutte Contre le Dopage, or AFLD, said ...

Armstrong “didn’t respect the obligation to remain under observation of the person in charge of the doping control,” the agency said. The group’s report was sent to the International Cycling Union, which in turn gave the French organization authority to open a disciplinary enquiry, it said.

 

[yello]

Just read a similar thing on the beeb...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/7991866.stm

the medic in charge claimed the multiple Tour de France winner did not "respect the obligation to remain under the direct and permanent observation".