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news
Wiggins, Cobo and Froome on Vuelta podium (copyright Tour of Spain/Graham Watson).jpgChris Froome set to be awarded 2011 Vuelta after Juan Jose Cobo receives doping ban
As get-well-soon presents to someone in hospital go, it beats a bunch of grapes or book of crossword puzzles – Chris Froome, still in intensive care after sustaining multiple fractures in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné, is set to be awarded the 2011 after the winner of the race, Juan Jose Cobo, was today stripped of the title due to irregularities in his biological passport.
Froome finished the race as runner-up, 13 seconds behind the Spaniard, with Team Sky colleague Sir Bradley Wiggins a further 1 minute 13 seconds back in third place. Wiggins is now set to be elevated to second place, with Bauke Mollema, then with Rabobank, completing the podium.
During the race, Froome himself held the overall lead following the Stage 10 individual time trial, but team orders meant he had to work for Wiggins, who moved into the red jersey on the following stage but lost it to Cobo three days later.
In a statement about former Geox rider Cobo published on its website today, world cycling’s governing body, the UCI, said: “The Anti-Doping Tribunal found the retired rider guilty of an anti-doping rule violation (Use of a prohibited substance) based on abnormalities from 2009 and 2011 detected in his Biological Passport* and imposed a three-year period of ineligibility on the rider. In accordance with the Procedural Rules of the Anti-Doping Tribunal, the decision will be published on the UCI website in due course.
“The decision may be appealed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport pursuant to Article 30.2 of the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal Procedural Rules and Article 74 of the UCI Constitution within one month as of today.”
The UCI added that it would make no further comment at this stage.
Meanwhile, the surgeon who operated on Froome after his crash on a reconnaissance of the Stage 4 time trial route at the Criterium du Dauphiné yesterday says that the Team Ineos rider may be able to return to racing in six months’ time – which with the winter break rules him out of competition for the best part of a year.
Professor Rémi Philippot said that the 34-year-old would remain in hospital in Saint-Étienne for several days and that he may have to undergo further surgery, and that decisions on his plan of treatment were due to be made this morning.
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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28 comments
This must be a very bitter sweet day indeed. Lying in hospital bed, in pain with multiple broken bones, but winning a bike race.
Hi Froomey, how you feeling? A bit groggy, yeah I know, it'll take a while, you gave us all a fright..
So.. do you remember when you came second and Bradders came third in the Vuelta all them years ago? Well funny thing.. do you remember the winner was that Spanish fella who we joked about having the performance of his life.. well, the UCI have brought a new sofa, that old leather thing they had hasn't been the same since Indurain puked over it in the 1989 Chrismas party, anyway they've been to DFS and got a right deal, 50% off! I digress, anyway, you'll never guess what they found stuffed down the back of the old sofa...
It was Froome who had the performance of his life. Remember the year before he had been chucked off the Giro in 104th place for taking a tow in the grupetto.
And let's not forget his run of appalling results before said Vuelta.
And if you read his book, you'd know why.
I have, and Wiggo's and Lance's.
…and from that you have learnt…?
Why has it taken ten years for the UCI to get round to announce this?
Were they saving it for a rainy day?
I'm not sure this is quite such good news to hear, 'that guy who somewhat suspiciously beat you to the title in 2011, yeah he's finally been busted, turns out you'd have won if he hadn't been doping'
While being awarded it would be better than nothing, it's probably a bit gutting, especially this far after the fact. Cobo will be the one that earnt the money from being a grand tour winner etc.
However long Froome rides on a Brit licence he ain't a Brit. He's a Kenyan, born in Kenya - Kenyan! It's like claiming that Zola Budd is a Brit. 'Taint so.
Legitimately he is the first African GT winner and definitely worth a knighthood for that.
To first generation British parents, who emigrated from Gloucestershire. He is British and chose not to ride for Kenya, or South Africa where he grew up.
You mean in the same way that Wiggins was born in Belgium to an Australian father?
So, if Froome is now the first Brit to have won a Grand Tour, does he get his knighthood now?
I'll just check with HMRC first...
I would assume he pays tax on any money he earns from racing in the UK or if he lived here.
And if Philip Green can keep his knighthood then I don't think anyone should be arguing about Froome not being eligiable .
Your assumption is wrong. Froome has never lived in the UK and lives in Monaco.
No, that was Nicole Cooke
Well, that will come as a surprise to absolutely no one. Nor will it shock anybody when the Spanish courts re-award the win to Cobo on some legal technicality in another few years time.
Pleased for Froome, more so in these circumstances. He cops way too much grief (including from classless peons like you jackson), grossly unfairly given his courteous personna and considerable grace under pressure.
It was a Sky tactical balls up that cost him winning the 2011 Vuelta outright anyway.
I think this is nice for him on what must be an awful day.
Come off it. They were the same thing when it was Petacchi and Ulissi getting banned for smaller amounts. What's the difference other than "being Italian" and "having less money"?
The difference is there is plenty of evidance indicating that salbutamol inhalers do not improve performance, just relieve/prevent specific symtoms related to a medical condition and thus allow the person to perform as normal.
I meant the difference as in why salbutamol doping resulted in bans for Petacchi and Ulissi but not for Froome.
You mention "having less money" in your other comment. Is that Froome's problem or the UCI? Either way it seems the ban, like the original science was dodgy and so all the riders were wrongly sanctioned for it.
Fair enough as long as he gives the 2017 one where he was popped for salbutamol to Nibali.
Yeah totally because they are the same thing.
Jesus wept, etc...
Brace yourself...
World of difference. It seems Cobo has a bona fide grade 1 ADV against him and a three year ban imposed. Froome's salbutamol was an AAF on a permitted treatment. He successfully argued it away due to an unreliable test. Ergo it was the test that was flawed therefore this sits with the UCI solely.