I'm all for eliminating drugs from cycling, and I recognize that a big part of the strategy is catching cheats off-guard, but when does the whole thing go too far?
Last week Belgian cyclist Kevin van Impe (Quick-Step) was at a crematorium, tending to the burial of his son, Jayden, who died very soon after being born prematurely. While van Impe was there, a drug tester showed up and demanded an immediate urine sample. Van Impe, obviously grieving, asked the tester to come back later in the day, to allow him some space and privacy, but the tester said no. According to reports van Impe was told that if he didn't provide a sample now, warned the tester, he was facing an immediate two-year suspension.
This whole thing has outraged van Impe's fellow cyclists. As a result they delayed the start of the Paris-Nice race over the weekend to protest what happened to him. Additionally, they issued a statement: "We'll say yes a thousand times to a determined and responsible fight against doping, but today and even in an even stronger manner in the future, we say no a thousand times against the violation of our rights, the rights of every human being."
Question: did the whole drug testing thing go too far, when a urine sample was demanded from Kevin van Impe at his son's funeral? Comment below.
- Here's a link to more details on the van Impe story
- More on drugs and doping in professional cycling
Image: Francois Walschaerts/AFP - Getty Images
Comments
YES
Yes they did,This Tester behaved in a very Robotic Fashion, like someone from an Secret Service Hit Squad, on the Style of the American CIA, or The Dept of Homeland Security. Very Callous Attitude of this Tester who should be Sacked from his Job.
Yes! The tester’s behavior is an outrage!
Small minds belong to small people. This guy probably took the attitude that “this is my job, it’s really important, so I am going to do it no matter what”. The stupidity that goes on in the race for the loss of privacy in many personal things must be reversed.
I would have given him a sampleright then and there…..all over his pants! And I would have made sure my aim was very appropriate!!
It is a shame, however, that decades of cycling doping scandals have resulted in the need for such an obtrusive testing program to try and restore public faith in the sport. I’m afraid that that faith will be restored only if there are no violations among the pros for an extended period of time under this aggressive testing.
Needless to say (and it has been said!), that the above is outrageous (Obviously, the person giving the test, must have been on drugs – there should be a check on the person giving the test, before he/she gives it). I saw a suggestion on http://www.freakonomics.com, that all contestants (this was in regard to baseball, I believe) be required to take performance-enhancing drugs – this would keep the playing-field level.
I still have to laugh it!