Oh Tom... Tom! How could you be so STUPID!!!

[dirtmistress]

Boonen tests positive for cocaine


By Charles Pelkey
Posted Jun. 10, 2008


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Boonen may face criminal charges in a current cocaine case.
Photo: AFP (file photo)



Paris-Roubaix winner and former world champion Tom Boonen has tested positive for cocaine, Het Laatste Nieuws reported on Tuesday.
The newspaper said that the 27-year-old Boonen tested positive for the drug three days before the Tour of Belgium on May 25, although one anti-doping officials say the rider will not face suspension since use of the drug is not specifically banned except in competition.
Boonen and his Quick Step squad have scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at the team's headquarters in Wielsbeke, Belgium, promising "an annoucement regarding the current situation."
Tour of Switzerland organizers, however, quickly reacted by banning Boonen from their race and demanding an explanation from his team.
"Race director Armin Meier has refused Boonen," Tour of Switzerland spokesman Kurt Henauer told AFP. He said that the rest of the Quick Step team would be starting the race as planned at Langnau on Saturday.
While the Tour of Switzerland decision reflects that of an individual organizer, Boonen will not face the full force of UCI or WADA sanctions in the case.
"A suspension is foreseen when controls took place during competition but it's not the case in this affair," said Tieneke Sonck, a spokesman for the Regional Sports Minster .
That position was confirmed by WADA spokesman Frédéric Donze, who told VeloNews that cocaine is among a class of stimulants whose use is banned only in competition.
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"If you look at the 2008 WADA Prohibited List, you will find a category named 'Substances and Methods Prohibited In-Competition' (i.e. only in-competition)," he wrote. "Cocaine is in section S. 6 Stimulants. Therefore, cocaine is not prohibited when detected out-of-competition."
Some may recall the 2002 suspension of German Jan Ullrich, who was banned for six months after a similar out-of-competition test, which showed traces of the drug ecstasy and amphetamine. WADA has only been fully in control of the international banned substances list since 2004 and Ullrich was suspended under the rules of the German Cycling Federation.
"The World Anti-Doping Code came into force on January 1, 2004," noted Donze, "at the same time as the first annual Prohibited List prepared by WADA and the other International Standard developed by WADA."
While he might not face cycling-related sanctions, Boonen may well face criminal charges in the matter. Inge Delissen, spokeswoman at the prosecutors office in the Flemish city of Turnhout, said investigators are looking "into the suspected possession of cocaine by Tom Boonen."
Delissen said police carried out searches but found nothing to incriminate the cyclist.
"On Monday afternoon searches were carried out and lead to a negative result. Tom Boonen was not arrested but he was questioned," she said.
There was no immediate reaction or statement from Boonen's Quick Step team, nor was there reaction from Bouygues Telecom, the French team with which Boonen was reportedly in negotiations for a contract in 2009.

"Boonen is my cocaine dealer," Vanoppen told police in January.

The Belgian sprinter was caught up in a drugs scandal in January when Belgian cyclocross star Tom Vanoppen tested positive for cocaine and told investigators that Boonen had provided him with the drug. Following that allegation, police searched the home of Boonen's parents but found nothing to incriminate him and the case was eventually dropped.
Neither case has prompted the UCI to consider sanctions.
"The UCI will not be requesting that a disciplinary procedure be opened," UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told AFP. "We have not been informed of this result but if the information is confirmed as it is an out-of-competition control UCI rules like those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) do not have any sanctions for (out-of-competition use of) cocaine."

[roadkillross]

daaaamn. riders are droppin like flies

[airgabe]

Mike this explains your sheer glutany of pain and need to go on forever...

[allison]

Stupid? He's like 28 or so, right? He's just a party animal. He was just pulled over for speeding last week (wasn't the first time).

Shockingly he more than likely won't get in any kind of trouble.

[dirtmistress]

Originally Posted by allison

Stupid? He's like 28 or so, right? He's just a party animal. He was just pulled over for speeding last week (wasn't the first time).

Shockingly he more than likely won't get in any kind of trouble.

He's a stupid 28 year old party animal. Considering Marco Pantani died of cocaine overdose and how they are cracking down on drug users he just wasn't thinking!
He's absolutely adored in Belgium but this could destroy his career! The press consistently rip him apart and they won't let this go I'll bet. Maybe not stupid but certainly not using his head!

[SheDevil]

I'd expect this from that ONE team

[Shannon]

What's a little cocaine? What a freaking dumbass...

It kills me that people who are blessed with athletic talent throw it away on stupid things and bad behavior, while the rest of us work our asses off to just hang with the group. Granted, we all did stupid things in our 20s, but I'm sure not many of us were being paid big bucks to ride our bikes either.

[stormrydah]

who???

[lukewiens]

disappointing!

[dirtmistress]

Originally Posted by stormrydah

who???

Nobody you know.

[shudder]

My buddy Dave's TIME VXRS (pictured below) just went down in value (at #001/300 it was actually Tom's ride a few years ago). He's quite proud of that bike. Bummer.



Stupid Tom.

shud

[allison]

I don't know that it'll ruin his career. The only way that will happen is if QuikStep can't find a new sponsor, or drops him because they can't find a new sponsor. It wasn't an in-event doping control or anything.

I highly doubt it'll be considered along with PED's. It's more recreational. Even NFL players get, what, 3 strikes first?

Though I thought I also read that if true about the cocaine his talks with Boygues Tele will cease (though no one on RBR saw that as a bad thing )

[katonk]

There's gotta be a way to put the blame on a French conspiracy.

[shudder]

...or on Michael Ball.

[Reedster]

[quote=dirtmistress;311575]
He's absolutely adored in Belgium but this could destroy his career! quote]

Has anyone heard of Frank Vandenbroucke? He's fouled up so many times, much worse than Boonen and he's still adored in Belgium. I think they still expect him to get his sh1t together and become the next Merckx.

So, I think that Boonen's long term standing is safe. This is especially true since cocaine is only seen as a PED when used during competition.

Of course, that doesn't change the fact that he makes some stupid choices like drinking and driving and using coke.

~R

[drew12]

maybe he should read this thread on drugs..

get some insight into what really goes on.

[Seat Sniffer]

Sounds like given his position he should be more responsible; to himself and his fans. Its too often that when people get some notoriety it goes to their heads and they think their invincible. When you have people looking up to you because you're something special you should be responsible and lead by example. Your actions define your character. Otherwise you're just another Paris Hilton.

[ubermensch]

I hope he ends up riding this year's tour simply because I don't want to see Cavendish win anything (not a fan of grown men throwing hissy fits), and for McEwen to spank them both for stage wins and the green jersey.

[dirtmistress]

[quote=Reedster;311670]

Originally Posted by dirtmistress

He's absolutely adored in Belgium but this could destroy his career! quote]

Has anyone heard of Frank Vandenbroucke? He's fouled up so many times, much worse than Boonen and he's still adored in Belgium. I think they still expect him to get his sh1t together and become the next Merckx.

So, I think that Boonen's long term standing is safe. This is especially true since cocaine is only seen as a PED when used during competition.

Of course, that doesn't change the fact that he makes some stupid choices like drinking and driving and using coke.

~R

You are right about Frank. The come back kid a million times. How many races did he win? I think he was expected to go big but was a flash in the pan after only a couple of good results. Tom has been consistently Mr. Awesome for quite some time now.
I agree it was out of competition and not on the dope list(remember that snowboarder in the Olympics that one year that got busted for pot but pot was not considered a performance enhancing drug?) And oh yeah, Jan Ullrich got busted for Ecstasy that one year and nothing happened so maybe you guys are right, maybe nothing will happen to him except the press won't forget it I'll bet.
Personally, I like him. He kills in a sprint!! Great legs too.

Originally Posted by ubermensch

I hope he ends up riding this year's tour simply because I don't want to see Cavendish win anything (not a fan of grown men throwing hissy fits), and for McEwen to spank them both for stage wins and the green jersey.

What hissy fits? Nosey inquiring minds want details!!
How could I miss a hissy fit?? what happened? whatwhatwhat???