BMC statement on Frei A EPO positive

[Bicicleta]

BMC Racing Team: Statement Regarding Thomas Frei
President Jim Ochowicz:

It has come to our attention that Thomas Frei has been informed that he
was tested A-positive regarding the use of EPO. As a consequence, the BMC Racing Team and its members have made the decision to withhold Thomas Frei from competition, in accordance with the BMC Racing Team's own policy. This should not be seen as pre-determination of guilt. The rider will now have to personally address the accusation.

This kind of news always make me so sad.

 

[eleven]

What a lousy day to get the news! Right after such a fantastic victory for them, they get hit with this.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

So this is the 3rd rider from BMC with a doping question mark behind them.

This is starting to feel like their Phonak days.

 

[Bicicleta]

This is starting to feel like their Phonak days.

Somewhere Floyd Landis is laughing.

 

[Anonymous]

ASO gonna' pull the invite?

 

[Publicus]

Somewhere Floyd Landis is laughing.

ACF 94 is crying himself to sleep.

 

[hfer07]

Surprise, surprise!!! BMC better off come up a very effective control damage right away before ASO change their mind....
BTW I've always been suspicious of Jim Ochowicz - since he belongs to the dirty old past of American cycling.....

 

[BroDeal]

Sounds like someone is still not willing to make the necessary under the table payments.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Surprise, surprise!!! BMC better off come up a very effective control damage right away before ASO change their mind....
BTW I've always been suspicious of Jim Ochowicz - since he belongs to the dirty old past of American cycling.....

I have to say the following statement made by Ochowicz in relation to Ballan, raised my suspicions.
On Friday, BMC president Ochowicz also gave a statement to the Gazzetta dello Sport, saying that the team management continued its internal examination of Ballan's past, and added, "We didn't know who his coach was."

Either the team has learned nothing from their Phonak days or the team is complicit.

 

[this_is_edie]

I have to say the following statement made by Ochowicz in relation to Ballan, raised my suspicions.
On Friday, BMC president Ochowicz also gave a statement to the Gazzetta dello Sport, saying that the team management continued its internal examination of Ballan's past, and added, "We didn't know who his coach was."

Either the team has learned nothing from their Phonak days or the team is complicit.

Yep. And they also brought on board soigneur Freddy Viane from the phonak days too.

 

[Parrot23]

Rihs is a shady character. Not a good pedigree. (That said, Astana hardly has a great pedigree either, LOL, more like the pits).

Rihs offsets the good news story Evans has been having since the Tour, or the Vuelta, at least. Always been surprised Evans went with him.

Is that 3 team-mates Evans has now lost, and is Kroon out of commission for awhile (shades of losing Kohl, etc., at Lotto)?

NB: I see ergmonkey has put together the amazing list, as follows....Didn't that Perez guy climb at like 1900m/hr VAM in the Vuelta just before being busted?

 

[ergmonkey]

Since this thread seems keen on revisiting how awesomely dirty Phonak was, here's a partial listing of their honor roll (feel free to let me know whom I'm forgetting):

Floyd Landis; Tyler Hamilton; Santiago Botero; Oscar Sevilla; Alex Zulle; Oscar Camenzind; Jose Enrique Gutierrez Cataluna; Santiago Perez.

These guys were Kelme/Festina/Liberty Seguros level dirty. Or, should I say, Kelme/Festina/Liberty level at getting busted?

 

[Ferminal]

Repeat after me...

"Cuddles out, Cobra in!"

 

[ergmonkey]

Also, just for fun, here's another indication of Phonak's former class--Phonak riders linked to Rock Racing:

Floyd Landis; Tyler Hamilton; Oscar Sevilla; Santiago Botero; Jose Enrique Gutierrez Cataluna; Victor Hugo Pena; David Vitoria.

If this were a standardized test, the analogies section might begin like this:

1) Rock Racing is to Phonak as________
a) Radio Shack is to Discovery Channel.
b) Relax-Gam is to Liberty Seguros.
c) Garmin is to the Great White American GC Hope.
d) All of the above.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Since this thread seems keen on revisiting how awesomely dirty Phonak was, here's a partial listing of their honor roll (feel free to let me know whom I'm forgetting):

Floyd Landis; Tyler Hamilton; Santiago Botero; Oscar Sevilla; Alex Zulle; Oscar Camenzind; Jose Enrique Gutierrez Cataluna; Santiago Perez.

These guys were Kelme/Festina/Liberty Seguros level dirty. Or, should I say, Kelme/Festina/Liberty level at getting busted?

I believe Phonak had 12 riders involved in doping scandals in 5 years! Here is the 'Dirty Dozen':

Jochen Summer 2001
Mathias Buxhofer 2002
Oscar Camenzind 2004
Tyler Hamilton 2004
Santi Perez 2004
Tomas Nose 2005
Santi Gonzalez 2005
Fabrizio Guidi 2005 B sample was negative.
Sascha Urweider 2006
Jose Enrique Gutierrez 2006 Operation Puerto
Santiago Botero 2006 Operation Puerto
Floyd Landis 2006

 

[issoisso]

And just for fun, let's also add him to the list of former Bruyneel riders.

 

[FKLance]

I actually trust a little bit on Andy Rihs. I think Rihs has had unbelievably bad luck through the years, has hired all the wrong people and ended up with teams that take a lot of dope.

I could guess: maybe this time BMC does not have organised doping. Riders then get frustrated and try and get and take dope themselves, which often ends up on positive tests like these. Evans and maybe Hincapie have their own high quality sources (Evans probably through Sassi!) but the rest are going relatively clean.

Why do you think a Saxo Bank rider or a Radio Shack rider NEVER test positive?? may be under the table payments, but i think they just have a good, solid organised doping system. Riders trust it, they don't need or want to seek for any additional help.

 

[Mellow Velo]

EPO again? See this is how the Bio passport effectively "distances" team management (the real culprits) from the individual rider.
Everybody now believes it must be down to "rogue" riders, rather than systematic doping, simply because the detection rate is up.

Will it effect either GT invite? Possibly, but somehow I doubt it.
With Kroon on the long term injury list, they a 4 men down, coming into their schedule meltdown part of the season.

 

[python]

don't know what to think and torn between either

(i) rhis is the dirtiest manager after bruyneel
or
(ii) most incompetent background screener
or
(iii) terribly unlucky

somehow (iii) isn't panning out well.

 

[BroDeal]

don't know what to think and torn between either

(i) rhis is the dirtiest manager after bruyneel
or
(ii) most incompetent background screener
or
(iii) terribly unlucky

somehow (iii) isn't panning out well.

I think his teams probably have not had a program. The riders are left to their own devices. To make matters worse, the high profile riders have come from teams with programs, so they are not used to fending for themselves. The teams also probably do not have the connections to get tip offs like Kelme and Postal were getting.

 

[auscyclefan94]

How do I believe in this sport?

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think BMC should pull out of the tour. I am shattered and furious!

 

[auscyclefan94]

From one very happy moment for bcm to one devastating one. I feel so angry!

I don't understand...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Rihs is a shady character. Not a good pedigree. (That said, Astana hardly has a great pedigree either, LOL, more like the pits).

Rihs offsets the good news story Evans has been having since the Tour, or the Vuelta, at least. Always been surprised Evans went with him.

Is that 3 team-mates Evans has now lost, and is Kroon out of commission for awhile (shades of losing Kohl, etc., at Lotto)?

NB: I see ergmonkey has put together the amazing list, as follows....Didn't that Perez guy climb at like 1900m/hr VAM in the Vuelta just before being busted?

Let's just clear something up, Ballan and Santambrogio are on charges with reference to LAMPRE not BMC. This is the first doping charge for BMC. Lets keep that in mind.

 

[craig1985]

Surprise, surprise!!! BMC better off come up a very effective control damage right away before ASO change their mind....
BTW I've always been suspicious of Jim Ochowicz - since he belongs to the dirty old past of American cycling.....

Isn't Ochowitz close to Armstrong?