Some juicy bits from this interesting article on Jeanson.
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/indepth/jeanson/index.html
In a story posted on the Radio Canada Web site on Oct. 28, Gilbert spoke
with a prominent Swiss hematologist, Pierre Antonio Piloto, who offered
three alternative explanations.
"He told me that there was three answers to the (high hematocrit count),"
Gilbert said. "One was the use of drugs; two, she was sick; and three, she
used blood transfusion, which is the same as doping.
And so began another season, quietly enough, until late May, when news broke
that Jeanson missed a doping test following a race in Belgium on April 21.
A pre-race test again turned up an excessively high hematocrit, but a
subsequent test taken before the race suddenly found her red blood cell
count to be normal. She went on to the finish 30th in the race and skipped
the post-race doping test -- inadvertently, she argued, because she was
distressed.
"You're talking about someone who is familiar with doping control and is one
of the top-ranked UCI athletes in the world, and she gets a fine?" said an
exasperated Barbeau. "It raises questions and it is surprising. When you
look at it from the outside it certainly looks as though she got away with
something."
The criticisms aren't limited to Jeanson's experience with anti-doping
authorities. Her personal coach, Andre Aubut, has been at odds with the CCA
and other Canadian cyclists for years. Many blame that on Aubut's lack of
experience -- he comes from a canoeing background -- and a controlling style
that puts Jeanson at loggerheads with other riders.
During the 2000 Sydney Games, Jeanson was seen in a heated argument with
teammate Lyne Bessette of Knowlton, Que., after Aubut reportedly tried to
undermine the authority of national coach Eric Van Den Eynde.
Ten-year road-racing veteran Anne Samplonius of Montreal submitted an open
letter that was published in the cycling magazine VeloNews in June.
Samplonius sarcastically thanked the USADA for giving Jeanson a free pass,
which she said opened the door for other racers to cheat.
"You have granted me (as well as all women cyclists) a 'get out of jail
free' card!" wrote Samplonius. "Now I, too, can miss my next drug test of
choice and get off with just a warning and fine. This has opened up my
cycling future!"
Now Samplonius and Aubut have allegedly butted heads in public, and on the
road. Samplonius claimed that during the national road race championships in
Kamloops, B.C. last month, Aubut cut her off with his car and spit at her.