BMC Soigneur caught with 195 does of EPO

[sniper]

A little Wim, a little Sven...
http://road.cc/content/news/38088-doping-investigations-yet-again-cast-shadow-over-tour-de-france-grand-départ

expect lots of insults of our intelligence in the coming days.

 

[frenchfry]

I can't figure out why each team doesn't have their own private plane to avoid this kind of inconvenience.

Love the denials from BMC management. Career liars, must come easy to them.

 

[euanli]

Not every team has a charity bank rolling their jet

 

[goggalor]

The interesting bit is whether or not they found anything in his house. Dirty soigneurs working for pro teams isn't big news in cycling, though it does provide some excellent headline material.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

if BMC go with this evidence OPL are out as well

I don't think both cases are very comparable. One is a soigneur actively working for the team (albeit part time), being on the payroll. The other is an ex-cyclist who has nothing to do with day to day affairs, but rides a tourist bus for one week per year during the TDF as a celeb.

plausible cause

 

[Franklin]

I don't think both cases are very comparable. One is a soigneur actively working for the team (albeit part time), being on the payroll. The other is an ex-cyclist who has nothing to do with day to day affairs, but rides a tourist bus for one week per year during the TDF as a celeb.

plausible cause

Why would the dealer be a part of the team? Doesn't logic suggest you prefer an outside guy/girl?

It's just another case where it seems that Logic might be your friend... but it certainly isn't theirs.

 

[Barrus]

The interesting bit is whether or not they found anything in his house. Dirty soigneurs working for pro teams isn't big news in cycling, though it does provide some excellent headline material.

From the original Nieuwsblad/sportwereld article:

Het onderzoek verhuisde van Luik naar Ieper en daar volgde maandag, meer dan anderhalf jaar na de onderschepping van de epo, een huiszoeking. Voor zover bekend werden er maandag bij de man geen nieuwe dopingproducten gevonden, maar wel dopingattributen, zoals spuiten en naalden.

No doping found in the search, but paraphernalia such as syringes and needles

 

[biopass]

I don't think both cases are very comparable. One is a soigneur actively working for the team (albeit part time), being on the payroll. The other is an ex-cyclist who has nothing to do with day to day affairs, but rides a tourist bus for one week per year during the TDF as a celeb.

plausible cause

Honestly. OPL would'nt let anybody ride their VIP bus in the biggest event of the season. He may not be involveded on daily basis, but He certainly has good connections inside the team.

 

[Franklin]

Honestly. OPL would'nt let anybody ride their VIP bus in the biggest event of the season. He may not be involveded on daily basis, but He certainly has good connections inside the team.

So far both guys prove they are trustworthy by doing the honorable thing: Seppuku ^^

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Why would the dealer be a part of the team? Doesn't logic suggest you prefer an outside guy/girl?

It's just another case where it seems that Logic might be your friend... but it certainly isn't theirs.

Let's be reasonable. If they catch your wife with a trunk full of dope, chances are it will be for you, and not for someone from an other team. If they catch your former girlfriend who also had affairs with other riders, with a trunk full of dope, it's a lot less evident who it's for.

Furthermore. Who administers this by the way? Seriously, i have no idea. Do the riders shoot themselves up? If not, i assume it would be the soigneur?

Honestly. OPL would'nt let anybody ride their VIP bus in the biggest event of the season. He may not be involveded on daily basis, but He certainly has good connections inside the team.

Team management maybe. I doubt he has good connections with many of the current riders. And if this were orchestrated by management, they certainly are the biggest bunch of dumb asses around. Which wouldn't be that much of a surprise on the other hand, since the guys at OPL are pretty dense (racing tactics: zilch).

 

[auscyclefan94]

I bet Kimmage will stir this **** up today at the Presser!

 

[Mellow Velo]

In trying to distance themselves, but with clear evidence to the contrary, Ochowicz and Van Avermaet have actually dug themselves into a big, smelly hole.

The worst possibly pre-Tour news for Cuddles. Another Phonak July sh*t storm
for the French press to make hay with.

 

[LeakyBoat]

I can't figure out why each team doesn't have their own private plane to avoid this kind of inconvenience.

Love the denials from BMC management. Career liars, must come easy to them.

Because that would be a clear link to the team; this way means that the team can deny/play down the relationship; as BMC are doing.

 

[Franklin]

Before I reply: I certainly think that the BMC case is indeed about applying riders from BMC and it would not surprise me if it's team wide. But I will reply this in a "neutral" stance.

Let's be reasonable. If they catch your wife with a trunk full of dope, chances are it will be for you, and not for someone from an other team. If they catch your former girlfriend who also had affairs with other riders, with a trunk full of dope, it's a lot less evident who it's for.

Neither of these guys is somebody's wife... and the soigneur seems to be part-time, so he probably has other clients (innuendo unintentional^^). Unless more ties are exposed BMC probably can shrug this of.

And I would think Cadel is getting extra special private attention, if only to avoid a scandal of the lesser gods to touch him. If I were Cadel I would certainly demand a private medical team (if I was clean or not).


Now if we look at OPL, the ties with WvS are a lot closer... but he certainly seems like a bungler. Also, he has no medical background. You would think that it's a private side job thing where he supplies a few riders just to make a living.

As in the BMC case, as long as no further ties are found it's only going to raise eyebrows, not going to have serious repercussions.

Furthermore. Who administers this by the way? Seriously, i have no idea. Do the riders shoot themselves up? If not, i assume it would be the soigneur?

I would prefer to shoot up myself, simply because I know that Cycling soigneurs are quacks with very crazy ideas about human physiology. But that's just me... I have no idea how it goes in a team.

Certainly an IV can't be administered on your own? Or can it? Did Ricco do it on his own? Or did his wife help him?

Team management maybe. I doubt he has good connections with many of the current riders.

Why wouldn't he? He was a pro until three years ago and never seems to have left that world.

 

[Franklin]

In trying to distance themselves, but with clear evidence to the contrary, Ochowicz and Van Avermaet have actually dug themselves into a big, smelly hole.

It's amazing... if they had any brains they would have said:

Noooo!!!! That guy? He is so right and upstanding! I never saw him do anything uncouth... I just can't believe it!

That way you acknowledge his existence yet subtly distance yourself from anything clandestine by saying you never saw it happening.

 

[movingtarget]

Thankfully we have Knights in Shining Armour like Vino, Millar, Contador etc to save the sport's good reputation................

 

[dlwssonic]

I will be deeply deeply saddened if they are found guilty and not allowed to ride the tdf

 

[Altitude]

Wow, a doping scandal on the Thursday before the start of the Tour. What a shock

 

[Tuarts]

From what I can get from google translate, the original article only links Evans and GVA by saying "BMC team of Evans & GVA". How does this, or the fact it happened in 2009 = Cadel has doped! It seems to be a mighty big leap, even for people in the media.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Thanks. I want a clean sport first and foremost. I am someone who has very stron beleifs about people getting what they deserve and that if you put out bad into the world that it comes back at you. Works the other way as well.

Chapeau to you sir!

 

[Wergeland]

In trying to distance themselves, but with clear evidence to the contrary, Ochowicz and Van Avermaet have actually dug themselves into a big, smelly hole.

The worst possibly pre-Tour news for Cuddles. Another Phonak July sh*t storm
for the French press to make hay with.

I almost fell off my chair when i just read this on CN news page:

The BMC team has tried to play down their links with Sven S. Belgian directeur sportif John Lelangue did not want to comment, while team manager Jim Ochowicz has said that he doesn't knowv 'Sven S'.

"A part-time soigneur for us? His name means nothing to me. I also don't know anything about an arrest. This is the first I've heard of it," he said.

Greg Van Avermaet also denied any soigneur by that name working for BMC.

"Sven S.? Yes, that name sounds familiar. I don't think he work for BMC though. I've never seen the guy at a race."

However the BMC official website lists Belgian soigneur Sven Schoutteten as part of their staff for the recent Giro della Toscana one-day race and the Skoda Velothon race in Berlin on May 22 , where Lelangue was directuer sportif and Van Avermaet was part of the team.

How stupid are they? After reading this I'm pretty sure that the EPO was for the BMC team.

 

[just some guy]

I almost fell off my chair when i just read this on CN news page:



How stupid are they? After reading this I'm pretty sure that the EPO was for the BMC team.

What he bought it in 2009 to keep for the 2011 Tour wow I´m organised buts that's crazy

 

[LeakyBoat]

From what I can get from google translate, the original article only links Evans and GVA by saying "BMC team of Evans & GVA". How does this, or the fact it happened in 2009 = Cadel has doped! It seems to be a mighty big leap, even for people in the media.

October 2009 points to usage in the 2010 season.

 

[Mellow Velo]

From what I can get from google translate, the original article only links Evans and GVA by saying "BMC team of Evans & GVA". How does this, or the fact it happened in 2009 = Cadel has doped! It seems to be a mighty big leap, even for people in the media.

Indeed.
There possibly lay the way to at least get a little distance between Sven S, the late arrivals and this bust. Plead ignorance of the investigation and surprise at the arrest etc.
However, they haven't gone down that route, but the denying of all knowledge of the guy, when he appears on their website, both 2010 and 2011 races.
http://www.bmc-racing.com/int-en/te...am-competes-at-giro-della-toscana-sunday.html
(in case you haven't seen any of the links)

GvA more or less, has put himself in the spotlight.

 

[dlwssonic]

is there any chance of bmc not being allowed to ride the tdf.