Romain Bardet has said that Chris Froome should voluntarily withdraw from racing pending the resolution of his failed anti-doping control for the anti-asthma drug salbutamol.
Four-time Tour de France champion Froome was found to have twice the permitted level of the drug in his urine when tested last September during the Vuelta, a race that he won, and has said he will try and provide an explanation to the UCI in a bid to clear his name.
> David Walsh says he has lost trust in Chris Froome due to Salbutamol case
The Team Sky rider, who suffers from asthma and uses an inhaler, permitted under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, plans to ride May’s Giro d’Italia to try and seal a rare hat-trick of successive Grand Tour victories.
But with the case likely to drag on for several months, there are fears that there could be a repeat of the situation that happened in 2011 when Alberto Contador won the Italian race only to be stripped of the title when the Court of Arbitration for Sport banned him as a result of his positive test for clenbuterol in the previous year’s Tour de France.
AG2R-La Mondiale rider Batrdet, third in last year’s Tour de France and runner-up to Froome in 2016, told French sports newspaper L’Equipe, “I can’t really see how Froome can race as if nothing was going on,” reports Reuters.
“Since Team Sky are doing nothing, nothing prevents their rider from taking a step back until there is a decision from the authorities,” the 27-year-old continued.
“Will the UCI have the means to shed light on this case? Will experts manage to prove that it is possible to have such high natural levels (of Salbutamol)?
“I have a hard time imagining that a rider with such a high dose of Salbutamol can be cleared,” he said.
“Otherwise, why set a limit?”
Bardet also called for the case to be resolved prior to the Tour de France starting in July.
“Otherwise,” he warned, “it would be catastrophic for the image of the race and the image of cycling.
“It would be a farce,” he added.
> Lotto-Soudal’s Tim Wellens says cyclists using inhalers are cheating
11 thoughts on “Romain Bardet says Chris Froome should not race until salbutamol issue resolved”
The authorities should follow
The authorities should follow the rules, that’s all.
I can imagine Bardet is asked his opinion frequently by journalists, but I can’t see any benefit to anyone in him commenting on the subject. It’s not his job to make a decision. He should get on with racing.
Yes, could get messy if he
Yes, could get messy if he wins the tdf then fails in his efforts to not be banned and so is stripped of all his results from vuelta to whenever he’s banned, if he is.
It seems the authorities have
It seems the authorities have learned nothing from the whole Dirty Bertie fiasco where he kept riding for 2 seasons and then had a retrospective ban. Bonkers…and yet here we are again!
Hunt ye not monsters lest ye
Hunt ye not monsters lest ye become a monster.
john1967 wrote:
And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
But how will Bardet know
But how will Bardet know whose wheel to follow and do nothing?
Seems to me he should spend some time on a TT bike rather than commenting…
Person says main rival should
Person says main rival should stop racing. Hardly an unbiased opinion.
At the moment Froome is not
At the moment Froome is not racing, so the point is a tad moot.
However the idea of a leading GC contender lining up for a Grand Tour with this hanging over them is surly untenable?
Awww so many Sky fan boys
Awww so many Sky fan boys have come to defend their Knight lol
wingmanrob wrote:
Who’s that then? I am hearing crickets for the Monegasque.
How long can Froome wait to
How long can Froome wait to do the lab test ? Can he race for a few more years, then retire, and then do the test ?