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Smiling Shark Vincenzo Nibali © Simon MacMichaelVincenzo Nibali: Astana doping issues "not my responsibility"
Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali says he has no responsibility for last year’s doping scandals that threatened his Astana team’s WorldTour status, but admits that team management are powerless to stop riders who decide to use performance enhancing drugs.
In February, UCI president Brian Cookson asked the governing body’s independent licence commission to withdraw Astana’s licence, but after reviewing the situation, the panel decided the Kazakh team should remain in the WorldTour, subject to certain conditions.
Five riders linked to Astana failed doping controls last year, three from its development squad and two – the brothers Valentin and Maxim Iglinskiy – from the WorldTour side. The latter tested positive for EPO shortly after helping Nibali win the Tour de France.
CNN asked the Sicilian how much he felt his achievement in winning the yellow jersey had been eclipsed by his team’s problems.
“I don't stop for something I am not responsible for,” he replied, adding that the doping scandal “was several months ago and not my responsibility.
“My mind goes into one direction only, and that's what's important. I really have to avoid thinking about anything that doesn't belong to me or stops me from getting closer to my goal.”
The UCI Licence Commission decided to let Astana keep its licence in part because it was satisfied that the team’s internal procedures had changed to help prevent a repeat of last year’s problems.
Asked whether the outfit, managed by Alexander Vinokourov, was doing all it could to fight doping, Nibali said: “Each of us is responsible for their own actions.
“No doubt that Astana does all it can to try to be fair, especially with its racers. However, nobody can guarantee that a rider who is motivated to disrupt the system doesn't do it.
“I can't guarantee this doesn't happen, as Vinokourov can't guarantee it, as no sport director can.
“So, when something like this happens - and unfortunately it can happen in any team - we need strict and clear rules.
“When It happens, it's not the whole team [that should] pay for it, but only the individual who cheated ... and he should pay a lot.
Asked whether he had considered switching teams to protect his own reputation, the 30-year-old replied: “I am tied to the team for another year, until 2016. I am not free to move to another team, and I never thought of it anyway.
“The only reason why this (would) happen is if we (didn't) get the licence and the team was to shut down. In that case yes, I would have thought about another solution.”
Looking ahead to defending his crown in July, he said: “It isn't easy, every year is different.
“No doubt that the Tour de France this year has a different map from last year and so it needs to be tackled differently.”
This year’s race begins in Utrecht in the Netherlands on 4 July and heads through Belgium before crossing into France.
Nibali, who went into yellow last year on Stage 2 in Sheffield and kept the lead until Paris, reflected: “Last year we had some very nervy stages, but racing in the UK is very different from riding in Belgium.”
The 2013 Giro d'Italia winner's comments come at a time when his team, through Mikel Landa and Fabio Aru, occupy the two podium spots at his home Grand Tour behind race leader Alberto Contador of Tinkoff-Saxo, a race in which, for the most part, Astana have ridden strongly, leaving some to question how much has changed.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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22 comments
The top speed peleton are all micro-dosing epo at the very least. None of those times and efforts make sense for a natural athelete.
To be fair to them, why wouldn't they? A couple of weeks ago it was proven to dramatically increase performance and still be undetectable;
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/wada-slams-french-tv-mic...
A lot of them make more sense than that "logic"... and opportunity doesn't imply guilt.
Just when we thought cycling was clearing itself up, we get Astana over performing, the resurgence of a two speed peleton, and this set of excuses from one of the half-dozen leading riders.
Given that EPO is now findable, and given the biological passports, if there is something naughty happening, what is it?
Did you not watch the 2012 Tour?
Disappointing to see a less proactive attitude from one of the top guys.
Exactly - at least Brailsford gave a good excuse for hiring Dr Leinders when people started asking questions. Nibali could at least pretend to look concerned about it.
If you're referring to the death of a soigneur, I'd say that was more like shameless opportunism!
It is like the era of LA, no one is prepared to speak out and anyone that does is called a liar etc. Back then we did have a brave few to do that, this time just Froome and a couple others ?
What we saw from Contador yesterday on what should have been a relaxed stage after a very fast tour for me was unbelievable.
Is that the same. Froome who went to Vino's retirement party and refused to call him a cheat during an interview with Kimmage in 2014?
but to his credit he is the only one who was prepared to be named int he CIRC report
So a rider who refused to call-out a proven cheat who is now managing a top team helped to put together a report on doping that basically shed no new light on the subject!
Bloody hell, even their flowerbeds are doping:
http://metro.co.uk/2015/05/27/council-accidentally-plants-marijuana-in-c...
There's a huge difference between being "powerless" to stop things happening, and not being able to guarantee things don't happen. The teams are not powerless to stop riders doping.
Nibbles may not be directly responsible for other people doping, but his response is very much "look the other way".
Giro stages beating the "expected" times, Astana mob-handed at the front when the whole team is not that good, can't help but doubt their performances, and as the rest are keeping up their performances as well.
Nibali's statements hardly help do they.
Cocking hell, that's just laughable.
I quite like Nibbles, but he's as guilty as the rest of that stinking outfit really.
That's probably the least convincing response to doping questions by any team leader. I get that he must be fed up with the questions, but to turn round and basically say 'it's not my problem' is ridiculous, of course it's his problem, if he wants to succeed in the sport he needs the sport to be credible.
And saying that the management can't guarantee it wouldn't happen, while factually true, seems to be preparing people for the fallout of the next person to be caught on the team.
Are the Astana riders subject to more testing throughout the year as a part of their special measures?
Nibali's performance in last year's Tour was phenomenal. I would be surprised if he cycled like that on "bread and water".
Was it phenomenal or did the few riders on his level either not enter or crash out?
Of course I have doubts, much like I do watching Landa in this Giro, but I have a problem with outright calling someone a doper until there is proof.
The UCI made a real mistake by not withdrawing Astana's licence - even if they believe the team is making the required effort. It's not enough to do the right thing but given cycling's past they have to be seen to do the right thing.
You'd think a genuinely clean athlete would be absolutely aghast and embarrassed by what was going on in his team.
Or have an opt out clause in his contract.
It's coming across to me as the latter - maybe even a touch pissed off he's in this situation with them - but he's not really going to be able to say anything concrete is he ? (assuming he wants to stay in the team for now). Weirdest interview i've heard that I can remember, sounds pretty much like he really is saying there are guys that dope in Astana (surprise). Open to interpretation of course, just how it comes over for me.
Crock of shit, from start to finish. Utter PR disaster.