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Gérard-Louis Robert (CC licensed by Flowizm via Flickr).jpg68-year-old Canadian cyclist caught doping... again
A 68-year-old cyclist from Quebec has been suspended for doping. Gerard-Louis Robert, who holds two world records in his age category, will not be permitted to compete until October 11, 2024.
La Presse reports that Robert was handed such a long ban because he’d already served a two-year suspension in 2009.
The latest positive test came at a doping control at the 2016 Quebec track championships when his samples revealed high levels of testosterone. After referring to his biological passport, authorities found that there had been an increase of more than 600 per cent.
An anti-doping tribunal made its decision on March 22 and Robert was initially suspended for four years for a first offence.
However, on April 17, he decided to appeal to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. Following the appeal, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES, the Canadian Anti-Doping Agency) received word from the International Cycling Union (UCI) that Robert had also violated an anti-doping rule in France in 2009 and had served a two-year suspension.
The CCES thus imposed an eight-year suspension for a second offence.
"We were not aware of the 2009 offence,” said Louis Barbeau, the director of the Fédération Québécoise des Sports Cyclistes (FQSC). “Perhaps this is due to the dual nationality of Gérard-Louis Robert, who is also French."
Christiane Ayotte, the Director of the Montreal Anti-Doping Control Laboratory, expressed confusion as to why the first offence was not known about.
"I find it appalling. I do not understand why the UCI did not react before, did not inform us before, when it knew there was a hearing. It's very bizarre. There is no trace of that offence on the internet. On the other hand, if you look at the athlete's record, you can see that there is a gap in competitions, so you could deduce it.”
Born in France, Robert has claimed that at the age of 19 a doctor forbid him from cycling as he suffered from cardiac arrhythmia. In 2002, following an operation, he took up the sport again. The following year, he won a world championship title in his age category. He also holds two world records in the 65-69 age category.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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15 comments
Legendary 7 time tour winner Lance armstrong said words to the effect that EPO doesn't make you quicker it just means you can train harder, recover faster and do it all again tomorrow.
Without access to Bradley Wiggins' doctors I don't think there are many drugs that can have a boosting effect without also putting in hard work.
If there was I for one would be knocking them back as fast as the packet of Chocolate Digestives I've just inhaled with my cup of tea.
That's a stupid argument. EPO allows you to train x% harder and recover y% quicker - so it makes you quicker if you've already been training at your limit without it. It'll also allow people who aren't quite training at their limit to compete with people who are.
I've seen a lot of of cyclists in their 50s and 60s who look absolutely ripped and powerful with it. Would they admit to doping? Tbh some of them look so snarly I don't think I'd even ask.
Apart from the cheating issue, I'd rather prolong good health and fitness by regular cycling than by pumping myself full of drugs of dubious safety which are also likely to have all kinds of side effects. As others have said, if there was even a snif of evidence that you could inject yourself with miracle anti-aging drugs, someone would be making a mint out of it and we'd all have seen the advertising!
It's already out there. Look at Vince. Look at Arnie. Look at Sly. Pumped full of EXPENSIVE drugs. Real growth hormone costs a bomb if you want to avoid chinese pharma stuff. Look at all the actors and singers - pumped full of expensive drugs. Being ripped is the new being smashed. Heroin is out GH and test are in.
Live in America and go to an aging clinic or whatever they call them, if you've got the insurance you can get the drugs, TRT all the way. Just because we live in the UK and they just tell you to go away and rot doesn't mean it's the way elsewhere in the world.
I thought you could get a TUE for Viagra?
I think it would be quite obvious if you turned up for a race having taken viagra and it would be hard to get into your lycra let alone sit in the saddle comfortably
According to the full pdf decision, ASEA pays him $20,000/year to race. So yes, doing it for money.
At that age there's nothing wrong with a bit of help from the chemist.
I'm that age. Yes, there is.
At 68 what have you got to lose? Getting muscle back can't be a bad thing if it's done with the knowledge behind it. No "granddad took a fall" on weak wobbly legs. Look at Vince Mcmahon at 70. I'd be happy looking that yoked now!
If I could look like that purely by my own efforts then I would probably be happy about it. To look like that by cheating? No way.
BTW I haven't got weak and wobbly legs.
I assumed he's making money in some way out of cycling, otherwise, why bother doping up. But then I thought, how many club riders do this just for local races, club runs and even sportives? Without naming names, what's the extent to which this happens?
Tbh, if I had the dosh and more importantly, the back up knowledge to do PEDs I'd be on them. Getting older sucks and if science can keep you hard at it then go for it. Obviously in competition is another area.
I think you'd be mad to start messing with gear personally. If there really was a safe effective anti-aging cure then don't you think people would be making a fortune off it already?
UK amateur cycling is full of guys doing their own research online and messing with their endocrine system, probably permanently, for no financial gain at all. It's sad but worse than that it's not good for you by any stretch of the imagination.