Two-year doping ban for Switzerland's Frei

8 comments
By AFP | Wednesday, Jun 30, 2010 3.12pm

Swiss rider Thomas Frei has been handed a two-year ban after testing positive for the outlawed EPO in March, the Swiss Olympic committee announced on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old, who tested positive in an out-of-competition test on March 21, admitted two previous offences. Following the announcement of his positive test, Frei was withdrawn from the Tour of Trentino and sacked by his team BMC.

Apart from his suspension, the start of which has been backdated to April 22, Frei was also fined 1500 Swiss francs (1130 euros) and ordered to pay 4440 Swiss francs in costs.

Frei was Swiss junior champion in 2002, spent two years with Astana before joining BMC in 2009. 

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  • Ah! another 2 year doping ban backdated of course so he'll be able to resurrect himself to smear the sport again in time for the olympics.

    What a farce the sport is you couldn't make it up. Ban them for life or let them take whatever they can get their hands on but stop this chirade of 2 year bans (backdated of course).

    Place your bets how many will cheat during Le Tour?

  • Actually it makes perfect sense - given that his suspension from racing under suspicion of doping began on April 22 it would be fitting that the two year ban begins on the same date.

    Agree that the punishment are on the light side. As for how many are cheating at the tour, hopefully the bio passport will do what it was designed to and we will find out...

  • we are bound to see more riders receiving bans as cycling is probably the most effective sport at testing. There are new, currently undetectable, forms of blood doping and other banned forms of doping out there and riders using them.

    It's the World Cup just now though and there's far more at stake money wise, but FIFA probably are where the UCI were 10 years ago, with their heads up their bum! Our sport is bad......but there are definately worse ones!

  • An ex-Astana rider testing positive, how novel!

  • Is it unfair to suggest zero tolerance toward dopers? - if you're caught, lifetime ban, no second chance, end of...

  • + 2 - lifetime ban. it's the only way ...

  • Lifetime bans? Not sure about that, however I think it would be better if the sentences were actually variable just the way they are in criminal courts. The more serious the doping, the longer the sentence. He admitted to two further offences in order to avoid any punishment for those if they were found out later. Rather than ignoring them altogether he should receive further, but shorter bans for those offences. Otherwise it's like those parents who let their kids off just so long as they tell the truth.

    And finally I think it's about time the teams took some of the blame. I know the authorities don't feel they can upset the sponsors, but it's quite clear that the teams could do more to stop doping. Not sure about fining them, but how about making them take part one rider short in the next race?

  • I totally disagree about banning him for life, its not as if he killed someone.

    He just got caught...

    What I think should be implemented is a two strike or three strike rule, which afterwards would be a permanent ban.

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