Why Tenerife?

[Granville57]

The whereabouts hour of the day that they choose is only a time when they guarantee to be available, it's not the only hour of the day when they can be tested. Yes, it seems to be typically in the morning.

But testers can grab a blood sample at any time (between 6am and 10pm, I believe)

Is there confirmation of this? I thought that the daily 6am to 10pm (if that's what it is) window only applied during stage races (because the riders needed some degree of assurance of appropriate rest).

I couldn't discern the details of this, either way, from the WADA site.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Is there confirmation of this? I thought that the daily 6am to 10pm (if that's what it is) window only applied during stage races (because the riders needed some degree of assurance of appropriate rest).

I couldn't discern the details of this, either way, from the WADA site.

From the UCI ADR:

92. The Rider shall also specify in his whereabouts filing, for each day in the forthcoming quarter, one specific 60-minute time slot between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. where he will be available and accessible for Testing at a specified location. This does not limit in any way the Rider’s obligation to be available for Testing at any time and place. Nor does it limit his obligation to provide the information as to his whereabouts outside of that 60-minute time slot.

So it's 11pm, not 10pm, which I am sure I read somewhere not too long ago. It's a pedantic document, so if it was event-specific, I think that would be mentioned. It simply says, "for the coming quarter".

 

[Catwhoorg]

Riders can (and do) get tested anytime, as well as the specific hour slot, they are supposed to provide an accurate but general outline of the days plans.

Obviously IC there is a whole lot more evening testing, not least because you cannot take a valid blood sample for Biopassport within 2 hours of a race/workout. (per WADA guidelines).

Best time OOC for a good blood sample is obviously first thing in the morning.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Hopefully, once Virgin have their http://www.virgingalactic.com/ service running they might consider setting their sites on Tenerife. Though that might be beyond current scientific thinking if some of the posters here are to be believed.

 

[blackcat]

I think Froome is concerned about competition this year. His tweet is just a red herring, perhaps a way to discredit them when they beat him. We all asked Sky the same questions the last 2 years (2012, 2013) why do you go to Tenerife to train?? All kinds of bogus answers, well now we know why. Near zero testing, no accountability. Mr Froome/Sky why were your there at all?? and previous years?

I also have my doubts about the Columbians and all the folks who go to train in countries where accountability is near zero or can be easily bought. I think if UCI put a restriction on where a Professional can train (like it must be a place where WADA/UCI can test you 2-3 times a week) we might see a more level playing field.

Froome is only tweeting cos of english language blogs/fora, really, this specific thread, that thinks Froome, sorry, knows, this thread knows Froome is BS.

I think if it was only a few threads on velo-club.fr and a few german fora, he would not pay lip service on twitter. This is for his sponsors, his fans, Sky, Eurosport, Ligget et al.

Its BS

 

[elduggo]

There is absolutely no evidence that it is harder or more expensive for OOC tests to occur in Tenerife.

other than the fact that testers do not go there.

 

[elduggo]

Can people please stop talking about Tenerife as if it is somewhere in the middle of the Amazon rain forest that's only accessible by a three day canoe journey.

It is extremely easy to get to. If teams are going there to avoid testing they either have a deal going with the relevant authorities to not test them there or they are aware the authorities are lazy. It's easier for me to get to Tenerife from Glasgow or Edinburgh than it is for me to get to the north coast of Scotland.

It would be even easier for you to get to other places that aren't as far, or as hard to get to, as Tenerife though.

 

[King Boonen]

other than the fact that testers do not go there.

Correlation does not equal causation. And we don't even have proof there is a correlation.

I could just as easily say testers do not go to Tenerife because they all believe it is full of ghosts and they are all scared of them.

Look!!!!! They haven't been to Tenerife this one time!!!!! GHOSTS!!!!

 

[King Boonen]

It would be even easier for you to get to other places that aren't as far, or as hard to get to, as Tenerife though.

Please choose a place where I could go altitude training that is easier to get to from Glasgow or Edinburgh than Tenerife.

 

[Benotti69]

Please choose a place where I could go altitude training that is easier to get to from Glasgow or Edinburgh than Tenerife.

So easy to get to Tenerife yet Sky were only tested once in 8 visits. Instead of pontificating about how easy it is to get there, how about explaining why Sky were only tested once in 8 training visits?

If we go by the 'so easy to get there' thought, then the only conclusion i came come to is, UCI are not bothered testing on Tenerife, hence why the teams go there as UCI dont give a fig about sending anyone to test. Now that is a real anti doping policy to prove the sport is cleanER.

 

[TailWindHome]

If we go by the 'so easy to get there' thought, then the only conclusion i came come to is, UCI are not bothered testing on Tenerife, hence why the teams go there as UCI dont give a fig about sending anyone to test. Now that is a real anti doping policy to prove the sport is cleanER.

Nah! Been proven up thread that they're scared of ghosts.

 

[Benotti69]

Nah! Been proven up thread that they're scared of ghosts.

Yep that would the level of thought from Sky fans.......

 

[TailWindHome]

Yep that would the level of thought from Sky fans.......

Pah! A ghost denier would say that

 

[elduggo]

the only conclusion i came come to is, UCI are not bothered testing on Tenerife, hence why the teams go there as UCI dont give a fig about sending anyone to test.

see this is what I think is actually the case. The testers know they won't find anything because the riders/doctors are so far ahead of them. So, why bother travel all that way for nothing? Let them dope and hope they slip up when they're back on mainland Europe. Thats about the best they can do at the moment, sadly.

 

[King Boonen]

So easy to get to Tenerife yet Sky were only tested once in 8 visits. Instead of pontificating about how easy it is to get there, how about explaining why Sky were only tested once in 8 training visits?

If we go by the 'so easy to get there' thought, then the only conclusion i came come to is, UCI are not bothered testing on Tenerife, hence why the teams go there as UCI dont give a fig about sending anyone to test. Now that is a real anti doping policy to prove the sport is cleanER.

Feel free to re-read my posts and the ones I was responding to. I've already covered that. The difficult to get to argument is rubbish, so yes, it must be something else.

 

[Benotti69]

Feel free to re-read my posts and the ones I was responding to. I've already covered that. The difficult to get to argument is rubbish, so yes, it must be something else.

What else?

Only points to one thing. UCI could not give a monkey's about the doping going on in Tenerife.

The teams must know this so for Froome to tweet about it, is only so when it comes to July and he is asked about doping he can fob off the hacks with a "I called for more testing", "I am Mr Clean because I want to be tested more" BS....well i hope it comes back and bites him hard!

 

[Benotti69]

Pah! A ghost denier would say that

Ah you got me, it's true i dont believe in ghosts

 

[King Boonen]

What else?

Only points to one thing. UCI could not give a monkey's about the doping going on in Tenerife.

The teams must know this so for Froome to tweet about it, is only so when it comes to July and he is asked about doping he can fob off the hacks with a "I called for more testing", "I am Mr Clean because I want to be tested more" BS....well i hope it comes back and bites him hard!

It's not just up to the UCI to test them. NADO's have the right to test them OOC and WADA (I think).

Whether it's a deal with the teams who go there, laziness or a large conspiracy between the teams, UCI and the NADOs we don't know, and it's pretty pointless to guess really, but it's not because it's hard to get there. Because it isn't.

 

[Benotti69]

It's not just up to the UCI to test them. NADO's have the right to test them OOC and WADA (I think).

Tenerife is part of Spain, so why have the Spanish ADA not got a full time post out there?

Whether it's a deal with the teams who go there, laziness or a large conspiracy between the teams, UCI and the NADOs we don't know, and it's pretty pointless to guess really, but it's not because it's hard to get there. Because it isn't.

Pointless to guess! It aint a hard guess now is it? The sports federations world wide are not interested in catching doping. Some are better at managing the dark side to their sports. Cycling is not one of them.

 

[King Boonen]

Tenerife is part of Spain, so why have the Spanish ADA not got a full time post out there?

Do you know that they don't? Everyone is assuming they don't, but no-one actually knows that, do they?

Pointless to guess! It aint a hard guess now is it? The sports federations world wide are not interested in catching doping. Some are better at managing the dark side to their sports. Cycling is not one of them.

Actually it is, especially with Froome spouting his mouth off. IF there is an implicit agreement between the UCI, the teams, and the NADO's (this includes the athletes own NADO, not just the on responsible for the location), which is pretty far fetched, I think it's reasonable to expect that as part of the deal the teams would have been told to not talk about it.

 

[roundabout]

Then again, people didn't seem to get tested in Tenerife recently, if I remember the Froome tweet story, so access or lack of it is not the issue.

Edit: not recently, tested once in five visits per Froome's words

 

[luckyboy]

The testers have to fly in on random days right?

I wonder how cost-effective it would be to send someone out there to stay for the duration of team's training camps instead..

 

[del1962]

The testers have to fly in on random days right?

I wonder how cost-effective it would be to send someone out there to stay for the duration of team's training camps instead..

Don't they have to get the samples to the lab within a specified period?

 

[King Boonen]

Then again, people didn't seem to get tested in Tenerife recently, if I remember the Froome tweet story, so access or lack of it is not the issue.

Edit: not recently, tested once in five visits per Froome's words

You're right, access to Tenerife is really not an issue. Yet it always gets brought up in every discussion and it's just wrong.

 

[King Boonen]

Don't they have to get the samples to the lab within a specified period?

Yes, but that also wouldn't be an issue.