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Five cyclists cleared



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 2nd 04, 11:24 PM
Marty Wallace
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Default Five cyclists cleared

The five cyclists named by banned cyclist Mark French have been cleared for
selection in the Athens Olympic Games team.

But there is behind-the-scenes debate about the ethics of one cyclist that
could still be the subject of further scrutiny.

Late last night the five cyclists were officially cleared by the latest
investigation, headed by the former WA Supreme Court judge Robert Anderson,
QC, who delivered a 380-page report after a week of intense questioning of
Australian Institute of Sport cyclists and officials.

Mr Anderson was specifically looking at the claims by French that five other
cyclists, Sean Eadie, Shane Kelly, Graeme Brown, Brett Lancaster and Jobie
Dajka, had injected what French believed were supplements in his institute
room, No. 121.

But it is believed that while legally the cyclists have been cleared, there
is confusion about whether all their nominations will be accepted by
Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates.

Coates has said he would need the cyclists to be "suitable persons" to
represent Australia, and that the onus was on the athletes to clear their
names before he would ratify their nominations for the Athens Olympics.

Coates cancelled a news conference that had been scheduled for today, and
could not be reached for comment last night.
But it is believed that in a round-table discussion at the Australian Sports
Commission board room in Canberra, the lawyers for the AOC, Cycling
Australia, and the Australian Sports Commission were happy that the five
cyclists were technically able to compete in Athens.

All were included a 25-strong team for the Games nominated by the board of
Cycling Australia two hours earlier, before the Anderson report was handed
down. Sources say that some parts of the Anderson report raise more
questions about the culture of the cycling program at the institute.

Mr Anderson had spent more than half an hour explaining the contents of his
report before leaving the lawyers to debate what to do.

Mr Anderson has been at pains to avoid impinging on the criminal
investigation that is under way by the SA police into the distribution of
the animal poison, equine growth hormone.

Thirteen vials of the hormone were found in room 121, which was occupied by
French last December. This week SA police raided the home of cyclist and
veterinarian John Katakasi, who is friendly with many of the institute
cyclists.

Mr Anderson was careful not to touch on this area with the cyclists, as his
inquiry had only a civilian status without any privilege and he did not want
to affect police activities.

Cycling Australia's Olympic team was announced on the provision that the
selections may "also be contingent on the outcome of the Anderson inquiry
and any appeals lodged against non-nomination".

Late night night there was a phone hook-up of Cycling Australia board
members, and the Australian Sports Commission was also considering its legal
position.

Mr Anderson has a second part of his inquiry to complete by October, that of
investigating the processes that were undertaken by the French case.


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  #2  
Old July 3rd 04, 03:15 PM
hippy
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Default Five cyclists cleared

Originally posted by Marty Wallace The five cyclists named by banned
cyclist Mark French have been cleared for selection in the Athens
Olympic Games team.


I guess that's a good thing... ?

But there is behind-the-scenes debate about the ethics of one cyclist
that could still be the subject of further scrutiny.


Leaving an element of doubt over whether aussie riders are clean or not
isn't such a good idea. Any victories and rivals will simply claim
"doping!".

Mr Anderson has been at pains to avoid impinging on the criminal
investigation that is under way by the SA police into the distribution
of the animal poison, equine growth hormone.


"animal poison"???

hippy



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  #3  
Old July 3rd 04, 11:15 PM
mfhor
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Default Five cyclists cleared

hippy wrote:
Originally posted by Marty Wallace The five cyclists named by banned
cyclist Mark French have been cleared for selection in the Athens
Olympic Games team.

I guess that's a good thing... ?
hippy




Leaves young Mr. French looking a bit silly. Was he using an "If I go
down, all you guys are going down with me!!!" approach, like the best
James Bond villains?

All the hoo-hah won't have won him any friends. He might be short of a
training partner or two in the coming months.

And if EgH is as ineffective for humans as someone has told me, why the
heck did he have it anyway? The risk without any benefit?

He used to come into the shop I worked in a few years ago, and was darn
sure what he wanted you to do for him, or his bike, right now, because
he was Mark French. Had to have the best bike in the shop, the lightest
wheels, the matching bar tape - not strictly necessary when you're 15.
But not a bad lad, all in all. Perhaps he just wanted success quickly,
like he wanted his wheel trued quickly, or his gears adjusted quickly,
or his single stuck down yesterday (shellac takes time to dry), because
he had more important places to go and people to see than some old bike
shop he got stuff off for nearly nothing.

Then he dumped us and went off to somewhere else which had shinier
toys, quicker.

Perhaps that's what it is with racers. They are always chasing that
indefinable something round the next corner, hoping that if they ride
fast enough, they'll catch it. Perhaps they should just sit down once in
a while, before they're forced to, and look around. Look at all the
people and places around you they've been ignoring (or abusing) for so
long in a singleminded quest to get over the next metre of pavement
quicker than their rivals. You can't live life by taking shortcuts and
expect not to miss bits, or get lost.

As "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" has it, "...the cycle you
are working on is yourself".

The best thing about the TdF is the scenery, which few of the riders
have time to see.

M"sorry about the brain fart"H



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