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| Reigning Quebec criterium champion: Miguel Agreda © Pasquale Stalteri Photography / All Rights Reserved |
I find it troubling that the Quebec
But it is my understanding that athletes testing positive for banned substances can only be stripped of titles obtained following a positive drug test, not prior.
The rationale being that we have no proof that any offences were ever committed prior to a positive test but once we have confirmation that an athlete has consumed banned substances, the understanding is that the prolonged effects may have played a role in defining any subsequent victories and therefore those titles may be rightfully stripped.
Geneviève Jeanson, who after testing positive in 2005, openly admitted to having used EPO throughout her entire career (although never caught), was not stripped of any medals simply due to the fact that no "scientific" evidence of doping existed prior to the positive test.
Concerning the 2011 Quebec criterium championship and the possible redistribution of medals, the lack of transparency concerning the details of Agreda's positive test and possibly leaked information, has led to much speculation giving rise to various articles and press releases portraying the 2011 Quebec criterium champion as being someone other than Miguel Agreda.
I think we need to know: Did Miguel Agreda test positive before or after the Quebec
If Agreda indeed tested positive at the Quebec road championships (August 28, 2011) as my sources tell me, then we have no definite proof that he was doping one month previous (July 31, 2011) during the Quebec criterium championships and he therefore remains the reigning Québec criterium champion.
If he tested positive on an earlier date as told by other sources, then he will be stripped of his title.
The story first broke on the Veloptimum website on October 21. 2011.
There is still no official word concerning this matter.
Pasquale Stalteri
1 comments:
And you wonder why cycling has a bad reputation. Cycling's governing bodies need to start taking decisive actions when it comes to doping. If you get caught doping in June then all your victories for the year should be revoked. Riders should remain on suspension during their appeals, maybe then the courts would process appeals quickly. And let's not forget the Mickey Mouse operation called the FQSC which is unable to manage any kind of championship, whether it be Crit, road or TT. Our federation in my mind is an embarrassment, at least the road racing division is, therefore I don't hold out much hope when it comes to this kind of dosier being closed in a transparent fashion.
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