Belgian Cyclist Tom Boonen Tests Positive for Cocaine

by optic | June 11, 2008 at 11:08 am | 390 views | 2 comments

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"Tomeke" quick stepped in some real crap here. While it should be noted that there is no mandatory suspension for an out of competition non-negative for cocaine use, there are a host of "discretionary" disciplinary actions that can be taken against Boonen. This falls on the heels of Boonen's two arrests for excessive speeding and a slight decline in form for the former world champion.

To add some irony, in 2006 Boonen was the spokesperson for safe driving in Belgium.

By Charles Pelkey

Paris-Roubaix winner and former world champion Tom Boonen has tested positive for cocaine, Het Laatste Nieuws reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper said that the 27-year-old Boonen tested positive for the drug three days before the Tour of Belgium on May 25, although anti-doping officials say the rider will not face suspension since use of the drug is not specifically banned except in competition.

Boonen and his Quick Step squad have scheduled a news conference for Wednesday at the team's headquarters in Wielsbeke, Belgium, promising "an annoucement regarding the current situation."

Tour of Switzerland organizers, however, quickly reacted by banning Boonen from their race and demanding an explanation from his team.

"Race director Armin Meier has refused Boonen," Tour of Switzerland spokesman Kurt Henauer told AFP. He said that the rest of the Quick Step team would be starting the race as planned at Langnau on Saturday.

While the Tour of Switzerland decision reflects that of an individual organizer, Boonen will not face the full force of UCI or WADA sanctions in the case.

"A suspension is foreseen when controls took place during competition but it's not the case in this affair," said Tieneke Sonck, a spokesman for the Regional Sports Minster .

The effects of this have already been felt as the organisers of the upcoming Tour de Suisse have rejected Boonen's entry and he will not be allowed to participate.

Tom Boonen will not be allowed to start the Tour de Suisse, race organisers announced Tuesday. The decision follows the Belgian sprinter's positive anti-doping control for cocaine on May 25 and could see the entire team thrown out of the Suisse event, in addition to placing a question mark over Boonen's Tour de France start.

"We want to make a point and emphasise that we will not put up with any rider who behaves that way," Tour director Armin Meier said. "It doesn't matter to us whether it is a world star or any other rider."

The Suisse race organiser also asked the management of the Belgian Quick Step team for its position on Boonen's situation. It requested an answer by noon, Thursday, which is also the deadline for the teams to submit their final line-ups. If the team does not comply with that request, the Tour organisers said that they could decide to exclude the entire team from the race.

Boonen will not be suspended by the UCI for his positive cocaine test. The use of cocaine outside of competition does not carry a sanction and as the test was carried out two days before a race, Boonen has escaped a sanction according to the UCI.

"The UCI will not ask for a disciplinary procedure to be opened," a spokesperson for the UCI explained to Sport Wereld. "The rule for the UCI is the same as that of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). There is no sanction for cocaine when talking about an out of competition control."

The deadline for a control outside competition to be handled is one day for an ordinary race and three days before a major Tour such as the Tour, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.

The Belgian Cycling Federation confirmed that they would also not be sanctioning Boonen for the altercation. "That's what the rules state," said President Laurent De Backer to Sporza.