So what's up with Heinrich Haussler?

[ImmaculateKadence]

I had him pegged to be a perennial classics contender and win at least one monument this year, but after a white jersey at Qatar and a 2nd place at OHN, he hasn't been able to keep his bike verticle. Now I hear he was involved in alcohol related car accident in germany over the weekend (link).

Can he get back to form by July? I suspect he could win a stage, possibly the cobbled stage? Will he face any disciplinary action from German Authorities, his team, or the UCI that could prevent him from riding the Tour?

 

[Race Radio]

I had him pegged to be a perennial classics contender and win at least one monument this year, but after a white jersey at Qatar and a 2nd place at OHN, he hasn't been able to keep his bike verticle. Now I hear he was involved in alcohol related car accident in germany over the weekend (link).

Can he get back to form by July? I suspect he could win a stage, possibly the cobbled stage? Will he face any disciplinary action from German Authorities, his team, or the UCI that could prevent him from riding the Tour?

He has had knee issues all year after an early season crash.

He was raised in Australia, of course he is going to drink.

 

[afpm90]

I had him pegged to be a perennial classics contender and win at least one monument this year, but after a white jersey at Qatar and a 2nd place at OHN, he hasn't been able to keep his bike verticle. Now I hear he was involved in alcohol related car accident in germany over the weekend (link).

Can he get back to form by July? I suspect he could win a stage, possibly the cobbled stage? Will he face any disciplinary action from German Authorities, his team, or the UCI that could prevent him from riding the Tour?

Why would that happen? If Boonen, for a cocaine positif didn't face, any disciplinary action, why would Haussler, for something less severe, face it?

 

[The Sheep]

Why would that happen? If Boonen, for a cocaine positif didn't face, any disciplinary action, why would Haussler, for something less severe, face it?

Would call driving when drunk a worse offence than taking some coke. One can kill other people the other just makes you an annoying **** that talks a lot.

 

[afpm90]

Would call driving when drunk a worse offence than taking some coke. One can kill other people the other just makes you an annoying **** that talks a lot.

Less severe for cycling. And cocaine is worse than you seem to think.

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

Heinrich is a typical rider....has a fantastic breakthrough season, is troubled by problems in the next when the pressure is on.
He wont impress this season, but don't worry, he'll be back in 2011!
OR he will win the WC in Australia this autumn and fail even more miserably next year! The return of the curse!

 

[taiwan]

...OR he will win the WC in Australia this autumn and fail even more miserably next year! The return of the curse!

Isn't there still the issue of his country of license? I can never remember what the deal is there, but he may still be deciding who he wants to race for.

 

[RedheadDane]

Well... Chris Anker has to rider under a Luxembourg license because he... well... lives in Luxembourg... so... I guess every rider will have to rider under a license of the country they live in...
But... Chris Anker is still a Danish citizen and rides on the Danish national team... right...? And I guess that's the major issue for Haussler... Does he want to be on the German or the Australian national team?

 

[Moondance]

Less severe for cycling. And cocaine is worse than you seem to think.

DWI is much, much worse than snorting some cocaine.

Also, Boonen did nothing criminal. He was caught with cocaine in his blood/urine, which is not a banned substance, nor a criminal offence (in most western countries). Possession of cocaine is punishable, but there no evidence of this.

 

[afpm90]

DWI is much, much worse than snorting some cocaine.

Also, Boonen did nothing criminal. He was caught with cocaine in his blood/urine, which is not a banned substance, nor a criminal offence (in most western countries). Possession of cocaine is punishable, but there no evidence of this.

If a rider is caught with cocain during a race he'll be suspended. Tom Boonen wasn't suspended because he was caught out of competition.

 

[tgsgirl]

If a rider is caught with cocain during a race he'll be suspended. Tom Boonen wasn't suspended because he was caught out of competition.

... which makes it a non-banned substance at the time he took it.

 

[Michele]

I was expecting as well Haussler to have a great season and especially a great spring but seems he has to solve that knee problem properly.

If he cant make it to the Tour (timing might be short?), hope he'll do the 2nd half of the season and especially be in a good shape for the WC.

 

[RedheadDane]

Whatever country he's riding for...

 

[afpm90]

... which makes it a non-banned substance at the time he took it.

So? Moondace said that cocaine wasn't a banned substance. I understood that he was saying that it wasn't while in or out of competition. That's the reason for my response. I know that cocaine isn't banned out of competition.

Also, I'm not disputing the severity of driving while drunk. But I don't understand why should a rider see his participation in the Tour in jeopardy because of this.

 

[Moondance]

So? Moondace said that cocaine wasn't a banned substance. I understood that he was saying that it wasn't while in or out of competition. That's the reason for my response. I know that cocaine isn't banned out of competition.

Also, I'm not disputing the severity of driving while drunk. But I don't understand why should a rider see his participation in the Tour in jeopardy because of this.

DWI is a criminal act. It's reckless endangerment of the lives of others. While I don't expect him to serve any jailtime (I presume he is a first time offender) he's hopefully gonna get a serious fine.

I don't expect him to be banned from the TdF, Boonen's case from last year sort-of gives us a precedent that the ASO cant force a team to de-select a rider based on non PED related issues. Nor do I expect Cervelo to voluntarily not select him. I don't think his TdF is in danger; no matter how much I would like to see him made an example of.

Also if there was a question of an in-competition cocaine positive i would expect the team to chuck the rider out first, simply for being a jackass

 

[Night Rider]

He was caught with cocaine in his blood/urine, which is not a banned substance, nor a criminal offence (in most western countries). Possession of cocaine is punishable, but there no evidence of this.

One would say that if you were caught with Cocaine in your bloodstream that would indeed be 'possession', in more than one way

On Haussler, looks like he's lost the plot a bit since his injury.

 

[Nick777]

he has had knee issues all year after an early season crash.

He was raised in australia, of German ancestry, of course he is going to drink.

ftfy......

 

[Spare Tyre]

Was there mention of his blood alcohol levels?

In Victoria I could be over the legal limit if I have more than two glasses of wine. It's hardly flat out drunk.

 

[PCutter]

Isn't there still the issue of his country of license? I can never remember what the deal is there, but he may still be deciding who he wants to race for.

He's born and raised in Australia to a German father. He moved to Germany at 16 to pursue road cycling and has raced under a German license as he felt that would open more chances for him to race as a professional - and probably did help in signing with Gerolsteiner. He is still eligible to ride for Australia provided he doesn't represent Germany first (or if he does has to sit out a few years) and as such he knocked back an offer to do the WC's for Germany last year - also as the course wouldn't suit him - thus allowing him to chose this year for a course which will be more suited to his style. I dare say his final choice will come down to two things - if the German team finds him some $$'s through sponsorship or through a benefactor and the other as to which team he feels he will be given priority as protected rider/his best chance to win.

Based on the course, this year's WC is probably going to finish in a sprint - maybe not the full bunch, but decent group - if he signs up with Australia he may have to fight for priority over any of Renshaw, McEwan, Davis. Germany may give him more protected status.

 

[Notso Swift]

I believe the choice of country has become more complex, he is now outside of 5 years since representing Germany, so he can choose, BUT there is an issue with duel citizenship's in Germany (as opposed to resident status) so he would have to hand back his German passport. He has stated this is a real problem. 2 min searching Cycling News and you will find it


Coke is Illegal as a Class A drug (in most countries, some classify it lower), Alcohol is not.
Driving Drugged is illegal every where, as is driving drunk, the issue with driving is not about the act but the potential consequences of an accident (like hurting others), this doesn't change regardless if you are drugged or drunk.

ftfy......

I am glad you did it, because the Austraians and the Germans drink more Beer per capita than 98% of countries (though Australia is falling as we are drinking more wine) Up there with Ireland who I think are still number 1 (and proud!)

 

[sadfitty]

Btw, Boonen has been caught drunk driving as well...

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/tom-boonen-loses-drivers-license-again-16867

 

[Moondance]

Btw, Boonen has been caught drunk driving as well...

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/tom-boonen-loses-drivers-license-again-16867

Wow. 180km/h in a 90 zone with twice the legal limit.... And all he does is lose his license for two weeks? Pathetic. And he wasn't a first time offender either. He clearly got off, and it's sad.

Although on an interesting note Begium is pretty weird sometimes when it comes to licenses. My aunt (who lives in Belgium) told me recently that if you're ever driving in Belgium, and ahead of you see a old car with outdated license plates, give it a very wide berth. Why? Until like the late 50s or so, people over 18 in Belgium just got a driver's license... No questions asked. It's obviously changed now, but there are still to this day a bunch of old people driving around in Belgium who never took a second of driving lessons in their life. Scary.

 

[L'arriviste]

Until like the late 50s or so, people over 18 in Belgium just got a driver's license... No questions asked. It's obviously changed now, but there are still to this day a bunch of old people driving around in Belgium who never took a second of driving lessons in their life. Scary.

This is true, but since then they've had up to 50 years to practice their driving

I've been booked for speeding a couple of times since I've lived here. I received and paid a fine in both cases - it's good earner for the indebted government - but there's no points system, so naturally there's not much of a deterrent against the appalling quality of driving here. If I closed my eyes for a moment, I could be in Greece or Italy, the way people drive. But then, if I closed my eyes, I'd probably crash.

 

[Fourier]

Shades of Jan Ullrich:
busted knee = recovery idle time = depression = drunk driving

 

[screaming fist]

Shades of Jan Ullrich:
busted knee = recovery idle time = depression = drunk driving

Yes, but Haussler left out the hit and run part.

Honestly, I don't really see why people wonder if the team is going to punish him. Sure, what he did was wrong but what has it got do with his job? He broke the law and German police will deal with it, not his employer.