FDJ doping in the new clean era?

[the sceptic]

Race Radio ‏@TheRaceRadio 27m27 minutes ago

Nighttime tests are only done when UCI has serious concerns. Thibaut Pinot, Alexandre Geniez and Steve Morabito tested Thurs after 11pm.

I give up on trying to figure out how the UCI works. If these guys are highly suspicious, who aren't?

 

[motty89]

pinot? noooooooo
How exactly do they decide who to test, having 'serious concerns' seems kinda vague and open to abuse by UCI

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Re:

pinot? noooooooo
How exactly do they decide who to test, having 'serious concerns' seems kinda vague and open to abuse by UCI

It is open to abuse as much as current testing standards are open to abuse by riders. And while we could have a discussion about why they are going after FDJ and not Astana/Movistar/Saxo/Sky, the fact that the UCI should night time test should not be up for debate.

As for RR tweet, I lump it into the file of other vague, unspecific tweets by RR. Not saying they are not worth reading (as far as tweets go), but they should not be taken as gospel. He makes a connection that any other fan with a Twitter account could have made. And while I didn't immediately connect "fdj complains..." And "...serious concerns...", don't read it as the kind of insider info he offered during the Lance decision.

 

[May0maniac]

Race Radio ‏@TheRaceRadio 27m27 minutes ago

Nighttime tests are only done when UCI has serious concerns. Thibaut Pinot, Alexandre Geniez and Steve Morabito tested Thurs after 11pm.

I give up on trying to figure out how the UCI works. If these guys are highly suspicious, who aren't?

Morabito has ridden for a few shady teams, but you could say the same about many other riders.
Yeah, who knows how the UCI works, maybe they just tested FDJ because Pinot already has lost his chance to do something gc wise and they wanted to show the world that they are ready to test a big name.

 

[The Hitch]

Part of some UCI ASO powerplay?

 

[fmk_RoI]

I do relaise that, since Brian Cookson dangled the threat of out-of-hours nighttime testing at the Tour, everyone believes it's happening. But with out-of-hours nighttime testing being illegal in France - and you have AFLD's Bruno Genevois confirming that to AFP - perhaps someone could explain how these post-eleven tests of FDJ riders actually took place on Wednesday? Could it be that the testers are playing right up to the legal window, arriving at/shortly before eleven and the test taking as long as it takes (which would bring it past eleven)? Certainly J Pinot/FDJ has indicated this to be the case by noting that the testing is starting at six too. This then being normal in-hours testing, the "serious suspicion" - or however WADA worded it in the 2015 Code - is not actually required. You would imagine that someone as well versed in the ins and outs of anti-doping as Race Radio would know this - and the AFP report did receive reasonable coverage during the week - so you have to wonder not why the UCI are targetting FDJ, but what is Race Radio's game here in trying to raise suspicions about Pinot et al?

 

[mrhender]

Re:

I do relaise that, since Brian Cookson dangled the threat of out-of-hours nighttime testing at the Tour, everyone believes it's happening. But with out-of-hours nighttime testing being illegal in France - and you have AFLD's Bruno Genevois confirming that to AFP - perhaps someone could explain how these post-eleven tests of FDJ riders actually took place on Wednesday? Could it be that the testers are playing right up to the legal window, arriving at/shortly before eleven and the test taking as long as it takes (which would bring it past eleven)? Certainly J Pinot/FDJ has indicated this to be the case by noting that the testing is starting at six too. This then being normal in-hours testing, the "serious suspicion" - or however WADA worded it in the 2015 Code - is not actually required. You would imagine that someone as well versed in the ins and outs of anti-doping as Race Radio would know this - and the AFP report did receive reasonable coverage during the week - so you have to wonder not why the UCI are targetting FDJ, but what is Race Radio's game here in trying to raise suspicions about Pinot et al?

That is what I think and suggested in a response to RR's tweet...

I don't know the rules, but my guess would be that it would not apply to night time testing if beginning before 2300 hours.. I would like to know if other teams have suffered testing both at 0600 and 2300 hours the same day.. Maybe we only hear of this case because other teams are less inclined to talk about such things...?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Or did he learn something and regurgitate it to appear "in the know" -- who the riders were being immaterial?

 

[neineinei]

Re: Re:

I do relaise that, since Brian Cookson dangled the threat of out-of-hours nighttime testing at the Tour, everyone believes it's happening. But with out-of-hours nighttime testing being illegal in France - and you have AFLD's Bruno Genevois confirming that to AFP - perhaps someone could explain how these post-eleven tests of FDJ riders actually took place on Wednesday? Could it be that the testers are playing right up to the legal window, arriving at/shortly before eleven and the test taking as long as it takes (which would bring it past eleven)? Certainly J Pinot/FDJ has indicated this to be the case by noting that the testing is starting at six too. This then being normal in-hours testing, the "serious suspicion" - or however WADA worded it in the 2015 Code - is not actually required. You would imagine that someone as well versed in the ins and outs of anti-doping as Race Radio would know this - and the AFP report did receive reasonable coverage during the week - so you have to wonder not why the UCI are targetting FDJ, but what is Race Radio's game here in trying to raise suspicions about Pinot et al?

That is what I think and suggested in a response to RR's tweet...

I don't know the rules, but my guess would be that it would not apply to night time testing if beginning before 2300 hours.. I would like to know if other teams have suffered testing both at 0600 and 2300 hours the same day.. Maybe we only hear of this case because other teams are less inclined to talk about such things...?

I would be quite surprised if other teams hadn't had similar experiences lately, but are thight-liped about it, because they are thinking just like RR + at least some of them knows there is ample reason to suspect them of doping.