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Thu 18 Jun, 6:21 pm UTC

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Boonen banned from 2009 Tour de France

By AFP & BikeRadar

Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen of the QuickStep team has been banned from competing in the 2009 Tour de France, following his second positive drug test for cocaine, Tour organisers ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) announced on Thursday.

The 28-year-old tested positive for cocaine in April, less than a year after he first tested positive for the drug in May 2008.

"In the wake of Tom Boonen's recent drug test, which followed a previous positive test in 2008, the Tour de France, having spoken to representatives from his QuickStep team, can only note that the image and the behaviour of Tom Boonen are incompatible with the image of the Tour de France and the image that such an exceptional champion should try to display," ASO said in a statement.

"In these circumstances and in order to preserve his reputation, his image and those of the Tour de France, the ASO group has decided not to accept the presence of Tom Boonen in its event."

ASO also revealed that Boonen and QuickStep have the right to appeal.

However, there was some good news for Boonen as the sport's governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced they would be taking no disciplinary action against him for the positive cocaine test.

"Finally, the UCI Management Committee has decided not to institute disciplinary proceedings against Mr Tom Boonen for having allegedly taken cocaine out of competition, after the Belgian rider supplied a number of elements in his defence," read a statement from the UCI.

The QuickStep rider won the 2005 world road race championship and several major one-day classics like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. He also won the coveted Tour de France sprinter's green jersey in 2007. 

Boonen's team have backed him and previously promised to provide legal support if he was refused entry to the Tour.

The UCI said earlier this month it would not be able to complete any disciplinary process before the July 4 - 26 race, meaning that Boonen, "according to the regulations" would be free to race.

"The sporting and economic damage for team and sponsors (which would arise from) the absence of Tom in the biggest race of the year are incalculable," said QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevere.

Lefevere had threatened to demand millions of euros in compensation if his rider was excluded.

The president of the Belgian Cycling Federation (LVB), Laurent De Backer, said the ASO's decision was "regrettable".

"Tom Boonen is accused of having taken cocaine but outside competition," De Backer told the news agency Belga. "ASO is the boss of its own competition but from a purely sporting perspective it strikes me as inconceivable to prevent a rider from taking part.

"Apparently at ASO they mix the sporting and the legal aspects of this case," he added. "Personally I expected another outcome. It's regrettable for Belgian cycling."

© 2009 AFP & BikeRadar

User Comments

There are 21 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 21 of 21 comments

  • common sense prevails....at last

  • The hypocrisy is staggering. Had he simply kept to nearly poisoning himself to death with alcohol there would be no problem, no ban. Are you people, those in favor of this, for real.? The Tour looks petty, mean, and cowardly, pandering to the mob self righteous blowhards that believe in arbitrary distinctions.

    It's a joke that his "image" is apparently only affected by alleged use of an illegal drug but not at all affected from admitted actual use of a legal one. This kind of foolishness shows that they need to concern themselves only with use pertinent to competition.

  • Ned, its his second +tive for coke - they banned him last time, did you really think they'd let this one slide?

    Love the photo up there - looks like his sniffing a line off his helmet!

  • junkie barsteward!

  • Getting caught once-foolish

    Getting caught twice-durrr!!!

    Evens he's caught again um lets say around April 2010.

  • What's wrong with snorting coke? So long as it does not give him an advantage when racing, it's irrelevant.

  • "what's wrong with snorting coke?" Are you serious?

    He's a professional, highly paid, high profile sportsman who a lot of young people will look up to. They should do more than ban him from the TdF, they should fine him so much he cant afford to snort anymore. DRUG SCUM.

  • This is the best news that I have heard against druggies after a while.

  • "He's a professional, highly paid, high profile sportsman who a lot of young people will look up to. They should do more than ban him from the TdF, they should fine him so much he cant afford to snort anymore. DRUG SCUM"

    Ridiculous, he races bikes. The role model stuff and "image" issues are for his team management and sponsor to decide about, and they want him to race. The Tour should confine there meddling persecutionary tendencies to competitive cheating.

    Are you fine with the fact that alcohol was by far the drug he was using most? Is that an acceptable? I don't see anybody raising any concern about that. It remains a question whether he even ingested coke. Hoff your comment displays a clear

    arbitrary and ignorant prejudice. Persecution of this kind is doing Tom more harm than good. Let's get him racing, participating, engaged and supported. If you really care about him, that is more likely to get him going in the right direction than

    forcing him to sit around with nothing to do.

  • drugs make rideing more fun!!!!!!!

  • why are you banging on about alcohol, yes it does cause damage more so than controlled substances in society. However you have missed a whopping big point alcohol is LEGAL coccaine is ILLEGAL. Persecution? What are you on, he took Class A substances and has been busted tough, he knew the score (sic) already after last year's bust. Professional sport needs credence and respect with your two face approach it would have neither!

  • Excellent, he done himself out of a tour ride. That ended well then! Professional cycling can do without fools like this.

  • Flanners1

    I'm "banging on" because the mob is ready to hang him for the very small thing he did and happy to ignore that he was practically poisoned by the, "legal" drug. It's absurd.

    Are you blind? I haven't missed your whopping big point at all. I'm POINTING out how arbitrary and hypocritical it is. I don't worship stupid laws. Drug prohibition has been a disaster.

    This use was not related to competition. I'm "on" recognizing bullshit when I see it.

    Yes, persecuted, it's too small to prosecute, but it's enough to persecute.

    Save your outrage for cheats and leave this to his team and sponsor.

  • Being a pro cyclist would be the only high I would ever need........

  • I am with ned on this.

    Yes Boonen knew the score, it is illegal, but he took it out of competition. And as Flanners1 says, Alcohol probably does more damage than classified drugs - just look around you!! I bet if they were reclassifying all drugs now, Alcohol would be Class A!

    It is absurd, but the mob rule mentality wins again and stupid decisions are made!

  • Think you missing the piont adphil.The only stupid decision was made by Boonen himself.He was fully aware what the outcome would be if he was caught.A pro cyclist or any top athlete taking class A drugs are risking their careers&THEY KNOW IT.I do agree with you about alcohol it's just as bad,being legal does'nt make it any less harmfull.

  • Why was England rugby player Matt Stevens sacked by his club and banned for two years having admitted out of competition cocaine abuse, and Tom Boonen isnt being formally sanctioned? They both follow WADA rules. That is the hypocrisy.

    Shame for Boonen, his ride at Roubaix this year underlined his class. I hope he doesn't do a Vandenbrouke

  • At Last, common sense prevails, let's face it he "should" be old enough to know better. I think this is a step in the right direction. The man is a fool to himself and is doing cycling no favours at all.Bring on the TDF

  • If its not performance enhancing he should be able to stick whatever he wants up his nose or anywhere else for that matter.

    Speeding (sic) in a car is illegal but does that mean he should miss the tour for being caught driving above the limit? Why should footballers be able to openly admit taking coke and still be allowed to represent their country? Surely there are more young impressionable people out there following the lives of Beckham and the other premadonnas than Boonen et al?

    The law is an ass and just because something is illegal, doesn't mean it is wrong, its because someone high up thinks it should be. Remember we all used to drive round on our mobiles and its suddenly now illegal? Is it now more dangerous than before. What if Coke got downgraded? Would you all be thinking "Oh thats fine then, its now like booze, he did no wrong". All those of you kissing the lawlords asses are pathetic. Make up your own mind without being influenced by a ponce in a wig telling you something is bad.

  • Yes he can stick what he wants up his nose but should not whinge and wriggle with lies and bullshit when he gets caught?! You mention football God help us that we would draw any comparison with that sport. Your take on law making and the justice system is kind of interesting, I guess you do what you want when you want and fcuk everyone else. Not a football fan are you?

  • He knew the risks and he got caught with his hands in the till. Tough. End of. It's a shame as I was looking forward to a bit of Tom vs. Cav, but there you go...

  • 1

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