Romain Bardet has argued that Chris Froome should not race while his doping case remains unresolved, saying it would be “catastrophic” for cycling’s credibility if the Team Sky rider were to start this year’s Tour de France with a verdict still pending.
Bardet, who has finished on the podium behind Froome at the past two editions of the Tour, gave a very brief reaction last month after it emerged that Froome had returned an adverse analytical finding for salbutamol at the 2017 Vuelta a España. However, the AG2R La Mondiale rider addressed the issue in depth in Tuesday’s edition of French newspaper L’Equipe, which devoted two double-page spreads to what it dubbed the ‘Froome affair’.
L'Equipe also profiled Froome's specialist lawyer, Mike Morgan and suggested that Froome’s defence could be based on the theory that his high level of salbutamol was due to an accumulation and then release of the drug in his kidneys rather than dehydration. L'Equipe also spoke to Giro d'Italia director Mauro Vegni, who called on the UCI to 'sort out' the case before the start of this year's race on May 4.
ADVERTISEMENT
Team Sky preferred not to comment when contacted by Cyclingnews about the L'Equipe articles.
Twice the permitted level of salbutamol was found in Froome’s urine after stage 18 of the Vuelta, though the 32-year-old denies exceeding the permitted dosage. Given the asthma drug is a ‘specified’ substance on WADA’s prohibited list, he has not been suspended by the UCI, but the onus is now on him to convince the authorities his sample could have been skewed by other factors.
“I don’t see how Froome can race as if nothing is going on,” said Bardet, who later added that he ‘regrets’ the rules do not stipulate a provisional suspension.
- Chris Froome returns adverse analytical finding for salbutamol
- Chris Froome: I haven't broken any rules
- Prudhomme wants Froome situation resolved quickly
- Giro d'Italia director calls on UCI to 'sort out' Chris Froome's salbutamol case
Laughing stock
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2EMH8gC
No comments:
Post a Comment