Belgian Doping

[wicklow200]

Finally!! I was wondering when the Belgians would get fingered. They've been conspicuously absent from any allegations recently. Patrik Lefevre gets a what was coming to him as a courageous doctors speaks out.

From Cycling News

Dutch doctor accuses Belgians of doping



http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php?id=photos/2006/nov06/worldcup4_06/Nijs_8855A Dutch sports medicine doctor has stirred up a hornet's nest of reactions to his comments that Belgian cyclo-cross racers have used EPO since the late 90's, and that this is why they've dominated the sport. Berend Nikkels made the statements last week, and could now find himself as the subject of a legal complaint filed by the Belgian cycling federation (KBWB) who are outraged at the Dutchman's comments, reports Het Laatste Nieuws. Nikkels did not name any specific riders, but according to the KBWB, his statements have caused irreparable damage to the riders, the teams and the federation. In a statement, they claim, "The KBWB cannot and will not accept this, and have requested that their lawyers take the necessary legal steps against Nikkels, and seek compensation for the irreparable damage which [the statements] may have caused to sponsorship income, television rights, and organisation of championships." The statement continued, "these judgements scuttle the efforts of the KBWB, riders and organizers over the last few years to create the success which we now have."

Nikkels was quoted by Het Laatste Nieuws as saying "Since the end of the '90s, the Flemish cyclo-crossers have been injecting EPO and Aranesp. I know this first hand, from persons who are close to them, and also from their competitors. I don't want to give names, but I'm talking about the whole group."

Other statements from Nikkels have attacked not just Belgian 'crossers, but roadies as well. "Of the road-pros 95% are doped." According to Nikkels doping is still organised within teams, and he attacked Quick Step director Patrick Lefevere. "People like Lefevere know this first [when a rider on the team is doping]... I know what he does. But I can't tell it, otherwise I will accuse people of using EPO, and I can't do that, because the information I get falls under my professional confidentiality. But yes, I have concrete proof against Lefevere. The most recent from the fall of 2005."

Ironically, Nikkels has advocated the supervised use of EPO to his own clients in the past. He openly advises his clients, Dutch and Belgian athletes, on use of performance enhancing products. "Sometimes I get a athlete who wants information on doping. I advise and prescribe a certain product, they do the rest... They can do that. I simply don't believe that doping creates more deaths then mustard or 'peperkoek' (cake)."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php?id=photos/2005/dec05/middelkerke05/rudy_de_bie_on_the_bike
The reactions from Belgians have been unsurprisingly vehement. Belgian national cyclo-cross coach Rudy de Bie told Sporza.be "These are serious accusations and it's now up to him to prove it. But if it stays only words, I hope someone will sue him, because he's attacking the whole Flemish cyclo-cross community."

Belgian cyclo-cross star Bart Wellens told Sporza.be "What can we do about this? Because this doctor isn't giving names, we shouldn't even think about suing him. I would rather want him to give the names, let the court do it's job and prosecute the guilty ones, even if Belgians are implicated. I'd rather have that then making everyone guilty."

This isn't the first such assault the Belgian federation has had to fend off. In September, Jean-Marie Dedecker claimed that he knew of several top Belgian cyclists who were involved in doping in Italy, but also refused to name names.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Yes this is a brilliant statement: "People like Lefevere know this first [when a rider on the team is doping]... I know what he does. But I can't tell it, otherwise I will accuse people of using EPO, and I can't do that, because the information I get falls under my professional confidentiality. But yes, I have concrete proof against Lefevere. The most recent from the fall of 2005."

- Basically I'm calling you a homosexual but I can't prove it but you're one ! Phoooey ! What ******** is this ? Facts my friends, facts, not hearsay, not "I can't prove it, I need to be protected by my professional cone of silence" facts... show me a bank statement from Basso paying Fuentes then I'll listen and cast doubt.... this guy’s a fool... put up or shut up ! This sounds like one G.Bush telling the world that Iraq has WMD but he because of the threat of terror the intell has to be kept quite.... oh please.....

Finally!! I was wondering when the Belgians would get fingered. They've been conspicuously absent from any allegations recently. Patrik Lefevre gets a what was coming to him as a courageous doctors speaks out.

From Cycling News

This isn't the first such assault the Belgian federation has had to fend off. In September, Jean-Marie Dedecker claimed that he knew of several top Belgian cyclists who were involved in doping in Italy, but also refused to name names.

 

[wicklow200]

Facts my friends, facts, not hearsay, not "I can't prove it, I need to be protected by my professional cone of silence" facts... show me a bank statement from Basso paying Fuentes then I'll listen and cast doubt.... this guy’s a fool... put up or shut up ! This sounds like one G.Bush telling the world that Iraq has WMD but he because of the threat of terror the intell has to be kept quite.... oh please.....

What's this? The all new-improved Black-and-Whiteboytrash? Since when did you let facts get in the way of a good riposte?

This is a little different to OP. Here's a doctor volunteering information. Lets wait and see if he can provide proof. But so far anyway its a nice to see that riders of no nation are immune to scandal and possible prosecution down the line. He has definitely liabelled LeFevre. They guy must have known what he was saying... maybe calling Lefevre's bluff?

 

[whiteboytrash]

What's this? The all new-improved Black-and-Whiteboytrash? Since when did you let facts get in the way of a good riposte?

This is a little different to OP. Here's a doctor volunteering information. Lets wait and see if he can provide proof. But so far anyway its a nice to see that riders of no nation are immune to scandal and possible prosecution down the line. He has definitely liabelled LeFevre. They guy must have known what he was saying... maybe calling Lefevre's bluff?

No I don't want balck and white... but you can't just say he's a doper and or he supplied gear... we need a little bit more.... tell us a race, show us a misused doping form, a bank statement, a fax.. something for me to cast doubt..... at the monent I'll stick by Mr. Lefevere and his vomit......

 

[tcklyde]

No I don't want balck and white... but you can't just say he's a doper and or he supplied gear... we need a little bit more.... tell us a race, show us a misused doping form, a bank statement, a fax.. something for me to cast doubt..... at the monent I'll stick by Mr. Lefevere and his vomit......

"We need a little bit more" -- nonsense. The presumption of guilt has shifted against the riders, brought on by both their consistently bad behavior and by their aggressive attempts to cover up for their own. Even when they come clean they still cover for people. What about David Millar's silly statement that he thinks Lance won clean? Surely he doesn't actually believe that.

Until riders go out of their way to prove they're not shooting all manner of toxic gear into their fannies they ought to be assumed to be walking pharmacies. And I'm going to put a bit more stock in a Doctor stating the obvious than the self-serving claptrap of Lefevere.

 

[Serafino]

Its seems WBT only promotes his anti LA, DC, Basso, JU, agenda (who knows why) but when a DS like PL (Mr. no less to WBT) is under the spotlight then the presumption of innocence has to be maintained.

Am I the only one who thinks that his is hypocritical?

From Cyclingnews.com
Court says Museeuw doped

"In the doping case involving veterinarian José Landuyt and Belgian cycling star Johan Museeuw, the public prosecutor of Kortrijk (Belgium) issued a final evaluation on Friday. As Belgian newspapers De Morgen and Het Laatste Nieuws reported, the court found overwhelming indication that Museeuw used EPO and Aranesp in the year 2003 and stated: "Taking into consideration the investigated SMS and fax messages, the examinations and confessions made by Landuyt as well as other persons, it is established that Johan Museeuw has definitely taken EPO and Aranesp."

SMS messages sent from Landuyt to Museeuw clearly indicate the veterinarian advised the rider on how to use what they call "wasps", a code name for Aranesp which was confirmed by Landuyt. In a message to Museeuw dated July 7, 2003, Landuyt wrote, "Now you should take 80 to 100 wasps, and upon departure on July 9, minimum 40 and maximum 60, then you will be clean as of July 19."

On July 27, Museeuw sent a message to Landuyt saying: "I have 52", to which Landuyt responded "Take salt and drink a lot." One day later, Landuyt again received an SMS from Museeuw that said "Still 52", to which he replied, "Snuff salt and drink a lot." The court considered it highly probable the Belgian rider was trying to bring down his haematocrit level, which must be under 50 in order to be declared fit for racing under UCI rules. Blood boosting drugs such as EPO will raise a rider's haematocrit.

Meanwhile, Museeuw still maintains his innocence. At a fundraising race in Diksmuide, Belgium, Belgium's greatest classics rider said: "I have nothing to hide, because I have done nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing." Furthermore, Museeuw has decided to be very involved in the debate around his integrity, but wants to keep it away from the media. "I want to continue the debate at the right places, not via the papers or TV. Apparently they want to dethrone me. But that's not going to work that easily," he said.​

or how about ...

The following are all Lefevere comments post-Museeuw doping news:

"I still have full confidence in Johan Museeuw."

"The inquiry will prove Johan made no errors. But, on the other hand, I fear his image is damaged." No way! Image damaged by systematic doping? Nahhhh.

"The best thing for him is to go on riding, otherwise people will think he is hiding."

Johan Museeuw was and still is Lefevere's boy. No questions. If Museuuw was doped to the gills, Lefevere knew about it, and probably helped, aided, abetted, whatever. Hell, he gave him a job when he retired.

Let's take a look at a few things that were pointed out by the readers of PodiumCafe.com...shall we?

So it looks like Lefevere is quite the anti-doping crusader at the moment, right?

How about immediate post-Festina affair when Festina director Bruno Roussel was detained for questioning (and later implicated wholly in the Festina-affair):

"I don't think it's fair," said Patrick Lefevere, the coach of the Mapei team, which is ranked just below Festina in the computerized team standing. "If he ordered the soigneur to do this, he's guilty," Lefevere said of Roussel. "But if the soigneur was trafficking in drugs and the coach didn't know about it, he's not guilty. And in that case there's a lot of damage for nothing."​

 

[wicklow200]

Just some of the riders Lefevre has managed in the last few years:

J Museeuw
Richard Virenque
Franck vandenbroucke

Yes his hypocricy is sickening.

He is acting so sanctimoniously because his sponsors are probably really pressurising him about OP, especially in his role as of spoekesman for Pro tour teams.

AND, this is the clincher, none of his riders were implicated in OP.