Share the post "Cyclosportive: The Marmotte Winner Misses a Doping Test"
A surprise at the finish of the Marmotte Granfondo Alpes this Saturday, September 4: winner Raphaël Addy vanished as soon as he crossed the finish line and did not show up on the podium of one of the most prestigious cyclosportives on the calendar. He also evaded the anti-doping test ordered by the French Anti-Doping Agency.
Image: marmottegranfondoalpes.com
At the finish of the Marmotte in Alpe d’Huez, the French Anti-Doping Agency ordered tests on six riders, according to our colleagues at Dauphiné Libéré.
As a reminder, a doping test can apply to any athlete, licensed or not, as soon as they sign up for a competition.
To learn more about how a test works: SEE HERE
According to early accounts, Swiss rider Raphaël Addy, who finished eight minutes ahead of the second-place rider, slipped away as soon as he crossed the line, despite the race speaker’s calls. He reportedly did not go to the podium either.
This version was confirmed by the rider himself, who wrote on his Strava: “(…) To put things in context before this goes off in every direction (…), I was sick in the final stretch up the Alpe, with stomach pains so bad I was vomiting. I crossed the line, said a few words to the speaker, and went off to throw up a bit further on. Without seeing anyone (no chaperone, as has been claimed). I reluctantly decided to ride back down to Bourg-d’Oisans. Once I got down there, someone called me to say there was a test… So I did not in fact present myself for this test, but I am going to get a blood test as quickly as possible to put an end to the gossip.”
Strava link: HERE
It is hard to know whether this explanation deserves any credence. But under the applicable procedure, a notice of the test must be presented to the rider as soon as they cross the finish line. In addition, a person (a “chaperone”) must then accompany the rider to the test. Finally, the rider in question has a certain amount of time to report to the test. A blood test performed later cannot replace the urine test that was due at the finish.
However, even assuming confusion at the finish of the Marmotte and genuine stomach trouble, Raphaël Addy could probably have quickly ridden back up to Alpe d’Huez from Bourg-d’Oisans to demonstrate his good faith, and thereby avoided not only suspicion but also a probable disqualification and a sanction that could go as far as a suspension.
Share the post "Cyclosportive: The Marmotte Winner Misses a Doping Test"
