It.s also been announced that After the Tour, manager Johan Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong are to leave the Kazachstans team Astana after Bruyneel was accused by Nikolai Proskurine, chairman of the Kazacks cycling federation and main sponsor of the team of bringing the good name of Astana into disrepute with some of his comments and his reluctance to accept Alexander Vinkourov back into the team after a drug suspension. Vinkourov has said that if it was not for him there would never have been a team from Kazachstan and if Bruyneel does not like it then he should go to America and form his own team.

Ademort

Good stuff. Right decision, that.

Makes you want to rethink your bet on Cav to be sporting a maillot vert in Paris, eh?

Golden boy

i wonder how much coke will be needed to beat cav!?

None, its not a performance enhancing drug.

It may not be a sporting performance enhancing drug ........ but it's CERTAINLY NOT a life enhancing drug, nor is it responsible or professional. I sincerely hope that Boonen is going to be obliged to actively promote anti-drug issues ..... sporting or recreational. Otherwise ...... he is not a good ambassador for our sport and should go away and snort himself to oblivion in private!

What an example

What a joke

What next?

Antmills, i belive he did just do that. (should go away and snort himself to oblivion in private!).. i dont think its some thing that people do in public.. and if he dose out of season its nobodys affair but his own. and if he dose it while racing and beats you then you not training hard enough. best of luck Boonen

"Cocaine, although illegal, is not considered a performance-enhancing drug..."

Actually, the UCI does consider cocaine a performance-enhancing drug if taken during competition.

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

He'll look mint in his Belgian champs jersey in the sprints and will give Cav a real run for his money as they both have great leadout trains.

This was the right decision to make by the sporting authority. It's their business to see to it that athletes compete without performance enhancing drugs. Period.

It is not their business to engage in PR based persecutions. His alleged cocaine use is a matter for the legal authority where the use allegedly occurred. They've chosen NOT to prosecute. Whether he races and represents his team and sponsor is up to them. They want him to race.

The desire on the part of the ASO to wield total power needed to be checked.

Cocaine is not considered an enhancer outside of two days from competition. If positive within two days then it is. In reality, it would only be helpful right before and during an event. The useful effects are very short lived.

This is going to do Tom more good than mean spirited, vindictive exclusion would have.

Agree totally with nedhoey. It's good to see some common sense prevail on this issue. His cocaine use, whilst stupid, should be dealt with by the relevant authorities, which in this case is not ASO!

Genius! Nothing like starting as you mean to go on. At least the relevant authorities will be seen by the outside world as trying to clean up the sport... again...

Oh, hang on, that's not right is it..?

Nothing personal, but rules is rules and twisting them to suit simply makes everyone look silly. If I got caught with drugs in my system at work I'd be fired. End of story.

Rules is rules is the reason he's in.

He didn't test positive for a banned substance related to competition.

Nothing has been twisted, They were twisting the rules in trying to keep him out.

I'll tell you what's silly, that poisoning yourself with "legal" alcohol is just fine and

the tiny cocaine traces found are seen as a terrible act.

Coke is not banned in every country in the world. you are allowed 1gm of coke and 20gm of cannabis in Columbia.. but that wasn't a surprise to hear that name pop up.

so providing he live over there its legal for him and every body else ..

A druggie is a druggie. I don't agree. It's spoiling the name of the sport.

"A druggie is a druggie"

Shallow arbitrary foolishness. Such backward ignorance is why there is no end to

such petty controversies.