Fränk Schleck receives one-year ban for failed Tour de France doping test

Why can't we get back to simples? If Armstrong was never actually caught but on the evidence gathered receives a lifetime ban, why do Schleck, Contador get away with short term bans? If they have been caught once, you can bet your bottom dollar that they have done it more than once and will be prepared to do it again. Schleck and Contador are the riders of today and therefore what happens to them will have more affect on those still racing than what was done to Armstrong who was not really in contention anymore.

GRRRRRRRR!

I wonder if arranging "accidental contamination" of food supplements by athletes and manufacturers could be the next step in doping

Looks so similar to Contador, who first got 1 year from the nationals and later a one year upgrade from UCI. So maybe Frank will also get a free upgrade, which would also make the UCI look a toughi in the anti-doping fight.

If the UCI had even the merest scrap of integrity surely they would ba asking for a review of the sentence. I like the Schleck's though do not think that they are as good as the hype around them. Sadly though far too much smoke around them. Father stopped/arrested and vehicle searched, money transfers, Puerto. Sorry but after the LA story do you still think all of these things are coincidences/ some foul conspiracy? Innocent until proven guilty. But he is guilty of failing an A & B test and not being able to provide at least some form of mitigating circumstances. I never believed Contador, I don't believe Frank. Sad but true.

And I don't see why the sentence for masking agents isn't the same as actual performance enhancers. Was the drung on a banned list - yes. So no excuse IMHO for less than the 2 year ban.

Its clear to me he is damn lucky. It doesn't take much to go through his diet and vitamin intake to work out where the contamination came from unless you don't want to let on where the contamination came from. He should keep his head down and look forward to the Giro de Lombardia. He aint going to win the Tour anyway

>"To justify any elimination or reduction, the Athlete or other Person must produce corroborating evidence in addition to his or her word which establishes to the comfortable satisfaction of the hearing panel the absence of an intent to enhance sport performance or mask the Use of a performance-enhancing substance"

Intent of whom? The athlete? Or those who feed and drug them? If it's only the athlete, then Greg Lemond's iron shots would have been legal (Sports illustrated | Greg Lemond | iron).

National body does its rider a favour, nothing new there then... They are "part of the problem".

He didn't prove that he didn't take it, he just claimed innocence (as I read it he just invoked the Contador defence... Consumed something contaminated).

"To justify any elimination or reduction, the Athlete or other Person must produce corroborating evidence in addition to his or her word which establishes to the comfortable satisfaction of the hearing panel the absence of an intent to enhance sport performance or mask the Use of a performance-enhancing substance"

No proof? No dice... 2 years. Expect a call from WADA.

So it seems the Luxembourgian folks haven't stuck to the rules here and we could see this drawn out and 2 years applied

Seems, fair, proportional and fairly well thought out by the Luxembourg Anti Doing Authorities (its a crying shame their acronym isn't LADA ) which is to be expected when the UCI aren't involved.

Yeah, he probably ingested it accidentally but he couldn't confirm that and he's responsible for what's in his body so a bad was needed however I think its fair and proportionate.

Frank, the rules basically say, what ever you put into your body its your responsibility whether knowingly or other wise. Get over it!

Exactly, bikeboy76. It's not as if Fronk has a shady past, like transferring money to Fuentes and being implicated in Operation Puerto, or anything like that.

Oh, hang on a minute...

Going by his form last year you'd have to agree, whatever it was it definitely wasn't "performance enhancing".

Rules is rules.

Sücks to be yöu, Fränk.

As much as you want to throw the book at Lance Armstrong the 'smoke without fire' brigade need to cool down. This ruling seems proportionate and no one has ever said that Frank's performances are 'unbelievable.' All pro riders are still taking all kinds of supplements. He is responsible, he can't explain it, he is getting the punishment.

I've heard people calling Frank and Andy 'The Chemical Brothers' which is taking guilt by association too far.

I shudder to think what would be said if any of our precious British riders had an adverse test result.

Tommy Voeckler came 4th on GC that year... just sayin'.

NOT good enough, I really hope the UCI and WADA sort themselves out and appeal the ruling, giving him a longer ban. If he hadn't been a TdF contender in the past, he would have been out on his arse.