Steve Freides said:I know I don't follow cycling as close as I used to, but please tell me
_why_ it matters so much that a rider was in one country and not
another? He showed up, he was leading, he rode a convincing stage
today, and he's kicked out on what seems to be a technicality. I just
don't get how _any_ job can require you to report your whereabouts all
the time - it's probably illegal to even require that under some
circumstances.
I don't mean to rant here, but I just don't get it. It seems like
common sense has gone out the window.
He's supposed to let the dope-testing agencies know
where he is so they can show up on short notice if
they do an out-of-competition test. Out-of-competition
tests have to be near-surprises, for obvious reasons
(and they're more likely to be an effective testing
regimen than in-competition tests).
It's quite likely that amit is right that Rabobank is
yanking him to avoid a greater embarrassment in the near
future. However, they could be justified in suspending
him just based on misleading them about his whereabouts.
If they can't trust him on that, what else can they not
trust him on? It's extra sensitive since as long as he's
racing, the team management has to back him publicly,
defend him to the press, and assert their trust in him.
Presumably all the teams occasionally express trust in
someone they privately have questions about (Who of us
hasn't ever done this?) but everybody's got some
threshold of stink they just can't hold their noses
for anymore.
Ben
I'll forgive people for misleading me ... but they
have to be cute.