OCLAESP raid in France

[theswordsman]

According to L'Equipe, the French OCLAESP had a dawn raid Tuesday to break up a doping ring. People taken into custody are said to include pro & amateur cyclists. The whole online article is just a paragraph, so I didn't quote.

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/breves2010/20101201_091709_coup-de-filet-a-caen.html

 

[Benotti69]

wonder did that come about from the recent meeting of the various bodies including Novitsky and maybe pooled information?

 

[frenchfry]

cycling, doping, cycling, doping, cycling, doping, cycling, doping, cycling, doping, cycling, doping, cycling, doping, cycling, doping...

 

[Race Radio]

This is old news. A waste of taxpayer funds. Nothing more then a witchhunt

 

[L'arriviste]

This is old news. A waste of taxpayer funds. Nothing more then a witchhunt

Ooh goody goody, what has the anti-doping fairy brought us this time? Another Oktos-Cofidis, maybe?

Well, if it isn't just a lot of hot air and procedural incompetence, we should get to know within 48 hours - that's the maximum allowed for detainment pending charges in France - although back in 2004, certain people cracked within the first 24.

Can't wait to see what they shake out of this one - it could be Christmas come early!

 

[Beech Mtn]

This is old news. A waste of taxpayer funds. Nothing more then a witchhunt

Well you know how the French are . . .

This would never happen in a fine upstanding country like America.

 

[RdBiker]

wonder did that come about from the recent meeting of the various bodies including Novitsky and maybe pooled information?

It might very well be since the drugs probably came from North/South America.

Although, I would think that if someone imported drugs to Europe it would be easiest through Eastern Europe. If they had to bring it over the Atlantic then Spain comes first to my mind. But maybe the laws regarding drug trafficking are as tight in Spain as in France even though the athletes aren't treated equally so that it's the same risk to smuggle doping products through France as through Spain.

BTW
I've always found it funny that people take it for granted that French riders don't dope any more....

 

[Adamastor]

Hmmm,
shame it happened in France and not in Spain !!

 

[L'arriviste]

... I would think that if someone imported drugs to Europe it would be easiest through Eastern Europe ...

In Oktos-Cofidis, the connection was Poland. Not sure about whether there was another, more remote source but there were doctors and pharmacists involved in both Poland and France.

 

[Berzin]

I thought the French were clean, which is why they haven't won the Tour in so long?

I will say this-if this latest bust had anything to do with the Interpol pow-wow, this could get very interesting indeed.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I anticipate a major bust of unknowns and amateur riders.

 

[frenchfry]

I thought the French were clean, which is why they haven't won the Tour in so long?

I will say this-if this latest bust had anything to do with the Interpol pow-wow, this could get very interesting indeed.

Might be a good time to wash the old cycling jersey, there could be a lot of recruiting going on soon

 

[Anonymous]

Impossible, the french are clean. I assume the raid was on a town with a large spanish, and italian population.

 

[Benotti69]

Impossible, the french are clean. I assume the raid was on a town with a large spanish, and italian population.

including aussies, and yanks

 

[TubularBills]

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/6...g-raids-carried-out-in-France-by-OCLAESP.aspx

"According to l’Equipe, the raid in north-west France occurred at dawn and was carried out by OCLAESP in relation to a trafficking ring for doping products. Those targeted included the suppliers, the users and doctors involved, and may extend into other sports beyond cycling."

 

[frenchfry]

Impossible, the french are clean. I assume the raid was on a town with a large spanish, and italian population.

"The French" are not all clean - I think that is a certainty.

Are the French "cleaner" than other nation's pros? There is definately an anti-doping mentality on a lot of teams which bodes well.

 

[D-Queued]

Shades of Clouseau.

How can you have a decent witch hunt if Lance isn't even in France when all this goes down.

Dave.

 

[theswordsman]

Another news source has verified that ten people are in custody.

http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/actu...-un-trafic-de-produits-dopants-demantele.html

Le Figaro is calling it a two day "wave", and there have been arrests.

These custody were held as part of a criminal investigation for "multiple violations of the legislation on doping products and poisons," said Ms. Denis. Le parquet s'est refusé à plus de commentaires dans cette affaire dont l'instruction est en cours.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2...518-coup-de-filet-dans-le-cyclisme-a-caen.php

 

[Anonymous]

Well its not who I was initially hoping when I saw the press reports. They live in Grenoble.. Never mind. Maybe next time.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I wonder if the information that the raids took place in "North West France" (according to l'Equipe) has any particular significance?

I'd always thought that the French teams tended to be based in the South of the country?

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder if the information that the raids took place in "North West France" (according to l'Equipe) has any particular significance?

I'd always thought that the French teams tended to be based in the South of the country?

Caen does seem a bit out of the way

 

[L'arriviste]

I wonder if the information that the raids took place in "North West France" (according to l'Equipe) has any particular significance?

I'd always thought that the French teams tended to be based in the South of the country?

Normandy is one of France's cycling heartlands. Thierry Marie, Jacques Anquetil, Amaël Moinard, Mikaël Chérel, Lloyd Mondory, Jerome Pineau, Anthony Geslin (only ones I could think of offhand).

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Normandy is one of France's cycling heartlands. Thierry Marie, Jacques Anquetil, Amaël Moinard (only ones I could think of offhand).

Well, yes historically. But aren't the main French teams based in the South these days?

Ag2r are in the South East, Bbox are in the South West. Where are Cofidis, Saur and the rest based?

I'm not suggesting that no cyclist would travel for dope, obviously, just that Caen is a slightly surprising place to be raiding.

(edited to add: Cofidis apparently were based in the North and may still be, but even their old HQ in Wasquehal was a long way from Caen).

 

[L'arriviste]

Well, yes historically. But aren't the main French teams based in the South these days?

Ag2r are in the South East, Bbox are in the South West. Where are Cofidis, Saur and the rest based?

I'm not suggesting that no cyclist would travel for dope, obviously, just that Caen is an odd place to be raiding.

If it's anything like Oktos-Cofidis (the lovely cathedral town of St Quentin - a bit off the beaten track too) - and this is pure conjecture, of course - the action could centre on an amateur-feeder club (of which there are one or two main ones in that region, I think) that supplies up through the pros.

 

[bianchigirl]

Caen not a million milles from Roubaix-Lille - Mickael Larpe ring a bell?