As most know I like my cycling and I guess it comes as no surprise to most when another cyclist fails a dope test - well today it was the turn of Chris Frome - the best cyclist in the world and a big champion of the sport being drug free!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/42345354
In simple terms one of Froome's test as come back as 'outside the permitted norm' - not exactly a drug fail but which could well lead to a ban (not a major ban though).
Froome is a well known asthmatic and the test in question shows that he had twice as much of the 'normal' asthmatic drug in him.
Froome claims he only took the permitted maximum amount of the drug that day of his 'failed test' and there were no other failures for the rest of the three week race, even though he was tested every day of them.
The drug itself doesn't appear to aid performance and is even permissible up to a certain amount.
There is a line of thinking Froome may have been dehydrated and had an effected on the reading pushing him well over the limit (double in fact).
Although checking back it doesn't appear that he suffered unduly on the day BUT he had a particularly bad day the day before!
Hard for me to imagine Froome doing anything stupid - he was leading one of the biggest races of the year at the time and was obviously going to be dope checked that day (and every other day) but equally it is hard to understand why a normal and common drug should be found in his sample well above what should have been there.
The French public regularly accuse Froome of doping - but they are biased.
Saying that though they said that about Armstrong and everybody laughed at them - but the were right!
My guess is that Froome will receive a ban, be stripped of the Vuelta that he won but be back for the Tour de France.
Hope he proves his innocence but I think the French will want blood.
As I've said many times before - I love cycling, it's pure theatre - you just never know what is round the next corner in this sport!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/42345354
In simple terms one of Froome's test as come back as 'outside the permitted norm' - not exactly a drug fail but which could well lead to a ban (not a major ban though).
Froome is a well known asthmatic and the test in question shows that he had twice as much of the 'normal' asthmatic drug in him.
Froome claims he only took the permitted maximum amount of the drug that day of his 'failed test' and there were no other failures for the rest of the three week race, even though he was tested every day of them.
The drug itself doesn't appear to aid performance and is even permissible up to a certain amount.
There is a line of thinking Froome may have been dehydrated and had an effected on the reading pushing him well over the limit (double in fact).
Although checking back it doesn't appear that he suffered unduly on the day BUT he had a particularly bad day the day before!
Hard for me to imagine Froome doing anything stupid - he was leading one of the biggest races of the year at the time and was obviously going to be dope checked that day (and every other day) but equally it is hard to understand why a normal and common drug should be found in his sample well above what should have been there.
The French public regularly accuse Froome of doping - but they are biased.
Saying that though they said that about Armstrong and everybody laughed at them - but the were right!
My guess is that Froome will receive a ban, be stripped of the Vuelta that he won but be back for the Tour de France.
Hope he proves his innocence but I think the French will want blood.
As I've said many times before - I love cycling, it's pure theatre - you just never know what is round the next corner in this sport!