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Vino gets a year

ire

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
source: http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13767.0.html

The UCI has expressed its surprise and astonishment at the Kazakh cycling federation's decision to ban Alexander Vinokourov for only one year for blood doping.

Thursday's ruling paves the way for the disgraced Kazakh cyclist to compete at the Beijing Olympics, as his suspension runs up to July 2008, the month before the games start.

In explaining how the Kazakh federation arrived at its decision, vice president Nikolay Proskurin said: "Documents and evidence presented by Vinokourov and his lawyers were not convincing. We decided to disqualify him for a year."

Proskurin added: "I think that should he want to, Vinokourov will be able to take part in the Olympic Games in Beijing."

UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told AFP that cycling's governing body considered the ban too lenient.

"We are very astonished and surprised. We're asking ourselves how the Kazakh federation could come to such a punishment," he said.

UCI president Pat McQuaid was also surprised by the light sentence, telling The Associated Press, "Normally for such a violation the ... ban is two years."

Both said the UCI was studying the ruling and considering a challenge before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Vinokourov was excluded from this year's Tour de France following his positive test for blood doping. He was sacked by his Kazakh-based, Swiss-registered team Astana following the positive test, which consequently led to the prompt withdrawal of the whole team from the Tour.

Vinokourov's lawyer, Maurice Suh, said his client "continues to assert his innocence of any violation of the anti-doping rules of the UCI."

"Mr. Vinokourov looks forward to the end of his suspension and to the opportunity to begin returning to racing once his suspension is completed," Suh added.
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ire

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
I'm actually kinda happy, I like Vino.....of course I always like Pantani, even through the doping scandals
 
ire

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
source:http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13769.0.html

Alexander Vinokourov, suspended for blood doping by his national federation, announced his retirement from the sport at a press conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Friday.

Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping after his time trial win at the Tour in July.

photo: Agence France Presse (2007 file photo)
The 34-year-old and his Astana team were kicked out of the 2007 Tour de France after he tested positive for homologous blood doping.

"I am stopping competition ... It's a definitive decision," he told a news conference. "I don't want this sport anymore ... I'm slamming the door and I'm leaving."

Vinokourov was fired by his Kazakh-financed, Swiss-registered team following the positive test, which indicated the presence of a secondary population of red blood cells, evidence that he had injected blood from a donor in order to enhance his endurance. Following the result, the entire team pulled out of the Tour.

The following month, teammate Andrey Kashechkin was found positive for the same infraction. Kashechkin, too, has denied guilt and has filed a law suit, challenging the UCI's authority to demand blood and urine samples from riders.

Despite his decision to retire, Vinokourov said he is considering an appeal of Thursday's ruling by the Kazakh Cycling Federation to suspend him for a year.

"It's sad that my career is ending like this but I want to restore my honor ... I will prove that I'm not guilty and get the results of this test rescinded," he said.

The Kazakh cycling federation banned Vinokourov for one year, a decision that would have allowed him to compete at the Beijing Olympics as his suspension runs up to July 2008, the month before the games start.

But officials from the UCI, cycling's international governing body, expressed concern over the light penalty as cycling rules - in keeping with the World Anti-Doping Code - call for a two-year suspension for a first offense and a life-time ban for subsequent violations.

Vinokourov, who said that he would be consulting his American attorney, Maurice Suh, regarding an appeal of his suspension, blamed anti-Kazakh bias for his problems.

"When we built the Astana team people started to talk behind our backs asking where are these Kazakhs coming from?" he said. "They told us they didn't want us in Europe."

Vinokourov, long considered a Tour de France contender and winner of the 2006 Vuelta a España, claimed that doping was not more rife in cycling than in other, more high-profile, sports which were protected from scandals by their financial clout.

"I don't think cycling is dirtier than any other sport," he said. "We're 150 people, where are the others? Where is tennis, where is football? They've been told not to touch them.

"I've the impression that cycling is an orchestra with very good musicians but a bad conductor. That's the reason the sport is a mess."
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Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,514
20,321
Sleazattle
The Kazahk cycling federation said they only gave him a year so he could compete in the Olympics and that they only banned him at all so the UCI wouldn't suspend the Kazahk Cycling Federation's license. Rumour is Vino retired to calm the UCI so the one year would stand so he could un-retire for the Olympics.
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,514
20,321
Sleazattle
LordOpie said:
are you saying that Vino will dope again or that my niece will expect to win at C-n-L at a biz meeting when she's 30?
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Your neice will be found shacked up with Vino in a cheap hotel room doing performance enhancing drugs after a board room CNL loss destroyed her self confidence and sent her life into a downward spiral.
 
SPINTECK

SPINTECK

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2005
1,370
0
abc
so he is retiring even though he could race in a year?? it's settled then, he's no that strong- his doctors are just that good.
 
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