Zirbel back to racing - gets time off for "help"

[tofino]

His suspension has been cut but several months due to his help in some other cases.

According to Zirbel, the reduction is due to his assistance in two recent or developing doping cases.

“I have been allowed to race the rest of the 2011 season and beyond, though I do not currently belong to a team,” said Zirbel. “Well, my ‘substantial assistance’ amounted to me putting USADA in touch with a person who had incriminating knowledge about an athlete who USADA was building a case against. And I actually did this in two separate cases that USADA was or is pursuing.”

The question in my mind is what two cases did he help out with? Recent or developing?

 

[Oldman]

Well one could be part of Joe's case (or offshoot) and the other could be his knowledge with Lance's teammates. There is no shortage of opportunity, unfortunately.

 

[Oldman]

Reading his full interview in Velonews he thinks it funny that his sentence was reduced for his testimony in another case "that's how the system works", rather than being exonerated for his assertion of tainted supplements.
Reeeaaalllllllyyyyy.....
This guy should not be looking any gift horses up close considering he made an easy choice to squeal and still clings to his illusion.

 

[DirtyWorks]

2009 Annual Report

I just checked USADA's 2009 annual report to see what the scale and scope of 'building a case' is at the USADA.

92 total POTENTIAL violations.
15 referred to international federations. It's out of their hands at that point.
21 pending cases. Take them out of the count.

56 Net number of cases
14 total sanctions (lots of them THC positives)
42 Resulted in no violations.

An generous estimate from way out here in the cheap seats of the total amount of money used for 'investigations' looks like USD$1 million. Not much. We know from the SI article on Wonderboy USOC keeps legitimate testing 'out of process' by calling it all research.

Conclusion: they are there to provide Federally funded testing services, and keep the appearance they are an enforcement organization. I wish it were different.

I bet Mr. Zirbel has some interesting anecdotes as a result of dealing with USADA.

 

[titleshot]

Way to go Tom!

I watched him race the Nature Valley Grand Prix 2 years ago, hes a great racer and a really nice guy.
Who cares how he got a reduced sentence or what he says about it, his sanction was BS anyways.

I hope he gets on a team this year, so he can get on with his career.

 

[Oldman]

I just checked USADA's 2009 annual report to see what the scale and scope of 'building a case' is at the USADA.

92 total POTENTIAL violations.
15 referred to international federations. It's out of their hands at that point.
21 pending cases. Take them out of the count.

56 Net number of cases
14 total sanctions (lots of them THC positives)
42 Resulted in no violations.

An generous estimate from way out here in the cheap seats of the total amount of money used for 'investigations' looks like USD$1 million. Not much. We know from the SI article on Wonderboy USOC keeps legitimate testing 'out of process' by calling it all research.


Conclusion: they are there to provide Federally funded testing services, and keep the appearance they are an enforcement organization. I wish it were different.

I bet Mr. Zirbel has some interesting anecdotes as a result of dealing with USADA.

The current Bonds trial, the pending Clemens trial (this early summer by printed projections) are building towards a dramatic introduction to something or someone. USADA is working toward high profile stuff, for sure. Tom got off because he had a bigger fish to throw on the pile, nothing more.

 

[hrotha]

Did... did he just admit his assistance was so minor you could hardly justify reducing someone's sentence because of it? Maybe Di Luca's assistance amounted to giving someone Elisa Basso's phone number.

 

[Oldman]

Did... did he just admit his assistance was so minor you could hardly justify reducing someone's sentence because of it? Maybe Di Luca's assistance amounted to giving someone Elisa Basso's phone number.

It would seem so. That is until he begins to ride around former compatriots where it could be much more significant to them that he said anything. I think his level of crime and public noteworthiness qualified him as insignificant to the USADA as well. As far as his public opinion of his contribution no one can be sure of what minor detail provides the tipping point in a case or what he actually said. It wouldn't seem prudent to roll around saying you were a major snitch and brought down the house, would it?

 

[ergmonkey]

Well, Zirbel continues his practice of poorly thought out public statements about his positive test for cheating and subsequent sanction.

Nonetheless, Tom Zirbel--who clearly cheated by accident--knows enough about "real dopers" to be able to contribute substantial, material information to a doping investigation.

Yeah, I'm so glad this guy was sort-of-not-really exonerated. I really hope he makes an uninspiring return to 85% of his former self at Garmin, just like David Millar.

 

[jimmypop]

Funny - some people contacted me personally to assure me he was clean.

So, he's clean, but instead of proving his innocence, he decides to inform? I think the informing - and reward for doing so - is needed in cycling, but I still question the assertion that he was wrongfully accused.

 

[jimmypop]

Well, Zirbel continues his practice of poorly thought out public statements about his positive test for cheating and subsequent sanction.

Nonetheless, Tom Zirbel--who clearly cheated by accident--knows enough about "real dopers" to be able to contribute substantial, material information to a doping investigation.

Yeah, I'm so glad this guy was sort-of-not-really exonerated. I really hope he makes an uninspiring return to 85% of his former self at Garmin, just like David Millar.

You said it better than I.

 

[BroDeal]

It is nice how these riders who are completely clean, riders who have been outrageously and wrongly accused, victims of a travesty of justice, just happen to know enough to get a sentence reduction.

 

[function]

It is nice how these riders who are completely clean, riders who have been outrageously and wrongly accused, victims of a travesty of justice, just happen to know enough to get a sentence reduction.

Just happen? Wouldn't you know a few things too if you went to work everyday and dealt with people doing illegal activities? It really could be read either way.

 

[BroDeal]

Just happen? Wouldn't you know a few things too if you went to work everyday and dealt with people doing illegal activities? It really could be read either way.

I don't go to work everyday and deal with people engaging in illegal activities. If I did then I would not be too surprised if I suffered consequences. I certainly would not be giving interviews moaning that I have no idea how this happened to me.

 

[theswordsman]

This part is interesting. I wonder who contacted who? If they can only work with people under investigation or serving a punishment, it's a pretty short list. Just from the article, I'm thinking he was recruited.

Zirbel credited U.S. Olympic Committee ombudsman John Ruger and the new University of Colorado law school clinic designed to support athletes in doping cases for his reduced sentence.

“The program is overseen by a lawyer-professor within the school and I was the first case that they took on,” said Zirbel. “It was their dealings with USADA that allowed the transfer of information to ultimately lead to the reduction.

He got off early because he knew a guy who could incriminate a guy, doubled. Is our consensus that the two open investigations are into pros?

 

[Clearly Unstable]

Rat narc...

 

[happychappy]

Rat narc...

Rats get their tails snapped and trapped.

 

[**Uru**]

Zirbel should have thought more before he spoke. After saying he narced on two people, I wonder if he will find an ice filled water bottle chucked into his spokes.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Funny - some people contacted me personally to assure me he was clean.

So, he's clean, but instead of proving his innocence, he decides to inform? I think the informing - and reward for doing so - is needed in cycling, but I still question the assertion that he was wrongfully accused.

It's quite plausible he's clean.

Think about the costs he would generate to *eventually* get the record straight combined with the time he can't race fighting the false positive versus just taking their deal. It seems to me he did the most pragmatic thing.

Is he clean? Dunno. I won't spend any time figuring it out.

Hardly a 'rat narc.' If it helped a largely ineffective organization accomplish something, then good for both parties. 'Rat narc' comments are an indication how bad things are in the U.S. The U.S. sport is tiny and relatively poor and drama queens are calling another 'rat narc.' great.

I still have serious doubts the USADA is an effective lead organization in an anti-doping investigation.

 

[mwbyrd]

If anything, Zirbel played 'the game'. He watched Contador get off - at least for a little while. Then, someone contacts him and says they'll reduce his suspension if he tells them what he knows.

Good for Zirbel.

I also like the fact that he admits he didn't add anything to his defense, whatever he told USADA/USA Cycling had nothing to do with his case, yet he gets his sentence reduced - AND THAT IT MAKES NO Sense. Have to agree with him.

USA Cycling used him and he used USA Cycling!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

the informing part has of course nothing to do with him talking about other riders he will just say names of (possible) doping suppliers.

 

[isayic]

Did... did he just admit his assistance was so minor you could hardly justify reducing someone's sentence because of it? Maybe Di Luca's assistance amounted to giving someone Elisa Basso's phone number.

I wouldn't be sursprised if RadioShack signs Zirbel. Just thinking of some "donations" to the UCI for shortening the ban. And what coice can Zirbel have comming from a ban? I got no illusions that he would only carry water bottles for the so called top riders.

 

[Eric8-A]

I was really stoked to see Zirbel riding for Garmin before his suspension. Now that he's free to ride again, I doubt Garmin would sign him. I wonder what team he'll ride for the remainder of the year.

 

[function]

I don't go to work everyday and deal with people engaging in illegal activities. If I did then I would not be too surprised if I suffered consequences. I certainly would not be giving interviews moaning that I have no idea how this happened to me.

By that logic, anyone in pro cycling shouldn't be surprised if they get suspended for doping, even if they are clean. I can't see how such a lack of impartiality could help anyone, certainly not the riders trying to do it clean. Good luck to you.

 

[ExRower]

Didn't JV say that he 100% believes that Zirbel is innocent. He should have no proble hiring him now.