Boonen tests positive for cocaine - AGAIN

[PinkBike]

From www.universalsports.com yesterday:

PARIS -- Former world champion Tom Boonen of Belgium failed an out-of-competition test for cocaine and has been suspended from all activities by Quick Step, the cycling team said on Saturday. Boonen, who won the Paris-Roubaix classic for the third time last month and is among the top one-day race riders in the world, previously failed a test for cocaine last year. "The test, which was positive for cocaine, was carried out by the Flemish authorities," team spokesman Alessandro Tegner said. "It was about two weeks ago." "He is suspended from all activities by the team," Tegner told Reuters by telephone later on Saturday.

Tom, what were you thinking?

[Tri Girl]

Me thinks he partied too hard after winning Paris-Roubaix (sp?) and the coke was still in his system. What a doofus!:rolleyes:

[Kalidurga]

Tom, what were you thinking?

Sounds like he was not thinking.

[smurfalicious]

My favorite part of this is Lance's response:

“It’s not a good situation. I feel for him. I know Tom because he was on this team. This is more of a social issue than a sporting issue. We have to address from a social standpoint. It’s a blow for him, a blow for Quick Step, a blow for their sponsors and Belgian cycling. I think that socially we have to address something there, or Tom has to look inside and say, ‘hey, I have an issue and how do I deal with it.’ Tom Boonen isn’t the only guy in the world who has that temptation. I wish him my best and I hope he rights the ship.”

The only thing he missed was saying Boonen needed to look "in the mirror" instead of "inside." Is he that oblivious to his word choice there?

[papaver]

My favorite part of this is Lance's response:

“It’s not a good situation. I feel for him. I know Tom because he was on this team. This is more of a social issue than a sporting issue. We have to address from a social standpoint. It’s a blow for him, a blow for Quick Step, a blow for their sponsors and Belgian cycling. I think that socially we have to address something there, or Tom has to look inside and say, ‘hey, I have an issue and how do I deal with it.’ Tom Boonen isn’t the only guy in the world who has that temptation. I wish him my best and I hope he rights the ship.”

The only thing he missed was saying Boonen needed to look "in the mirror" instead of "inside." Is he that oblivious to his word choice there?

:D:D:D

Here in Belgium we changed his name in Dom Boonen. Dom means stupid. :D

It's common knowledge here that he likes to party (a lot).

[alpinerabbit]

I believe that many professional athletes have underlying psychological issues and that their achievements are part of the coping strategy (how many of us use sports to cope with depression, stress, feelings of inadequacy? hell, I do).

So a lot of them probably are susceptible to the temptations of drugs.

In addition, they get to go to parties where the stuff is around, and they easily meet the kind of people who use it (well doh, it's everywhere where people "work and play hard").

Yes, he's an idiot and if he does not find a way, he'll fall.

[OakLeaf]

The only thing he missed was saying Boonen needed to look "in the mirror" instead of "inside." Is he that oblivious to his word choice there?


:D:D:D Yep, Boonen's really crossed a line.

His chances of coming back from this one are razor-thin.

[papaver]

:D:D:D Yep, Boonen's really crossed a line.

His chances of coming back from this one are razor-thin.

Why should it be? He didn't take doping. So it won't have too much effect on his career. Sure he will be punished, but he's only 28 years old...

[OakLeaf]

line... razor... just taking Smurf's bait...

[papaver]

line... razor... just taking Smurf's bait...


aaaahhh okay.... http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/konfus/a042.gif I didn't get the punch 'line'. :D

[Zen]

:D:D:D Yep, Boonen's really crossed a line.

His chances of coming back from this one are razor-thin.

Oh, you're good:D

[ny biker]

Apparently this is the third time he's tested positive.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may11news2


(Sorry I wasn't able to continue the puns...)

[Andrea]

:D:D:D Yep, Boonen's really crossed a line.

His chances of coming back from this one are razor-thin.

*snort*

[smurfalicious]

Oh, and congrats go to Andrea for finding the missing piece of drug slang humor! I swear, if cycling was as popular as say, basketball is in the US, those posts are what it would have sounded like in the writer's room at SNL.

Oh well, in the mean time they can crank out genius like "I jizz in my pants" and I will still laugh.

[ilima]

I had a laugh when I first saw Lance's comments.

Yeah, I do think Boonen's a dumbass. But since coke isn't banned for an out-of-competition test, I really don't think they should be testing for it. WADA is meant to keep PEDs out of sport not be the World Drug Police.

[Andrea]

...Oh well, in the mean time they can crank out genius like "I jizz in my pants" and I will still laugh.

All I can say is...




I'm on a boat.

[Zen]

With a little help from Bike Snob (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may10news),

"I do not think I have a problem with cocaine, I have problems when I drink too much. 364 days per year I am good. But if I drink too much, it's exactly like I change in my head...

I need help. Someone should teach me to understand what happens when I drink too much."

I hope he means it.

[ilima]

With a little help from Bike Snob (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may10news),

"I do not think I have a problem with cocaine, I have problems when I drink too much. 364 days per year I am good. But if I drink too much, it's exactly like I change in my head...

I need help. Someone should teach me to understand what happens when I drink too much."

I hope he means it.

He also said 'coke is everywhere.' Sorry, dude, but that ain't true. I haven't been offered coke in 20 years. It's only 'everywhere' when you're seeking it out and hanging with druggies.

[papaver]

He also said 'coke is everywhere.' Sorry, dude, but that ain't true. I haven't been offered coke in 20 years. It's only 'everywhere' when you're seeking it out and hanging with druggies.

no, i'm sorry, but here it's really everywhere. He is an idol, and idols attract a lot of fortuneseekers, attentionseekers and drugdealers.

[Caroline]

He is an idiot but I don't think this should have been spread like this to the media, as it is really not a public issue.
If he had been blood doping, yes OK, let us know, but the cocaine news were not necessary. Boonen is a very talented rider but he has a bad habit, just like he could have been gambling, or being an alcoholic, however, it really isn't our problem.
I think he does need help though and I hope he gets better.

[ny biker]

He is an idiot but I don't think this should have been spread like this to the media, as it is really not a public issue.
If he had been blood doping, yes OK, let us know, but the cocaine news were not necessary. Boonen is a very talented rider but he has a bad habit, just like he could have been gambling, or being an alcoholic, however, it really isn't our problem.
I think he does need help though and I hope he gets better.

Well, his team suspended him, and if they didn't give a reason then there would just be lots of rumors, which could be worse than the truth.

The general feeling seems to be that he needs to forget about his career, at least for now, so he can address his substance problems. I agree, I hope he's able to overcome them.

[Possegal]

In addition to the indefinite suspension, the Tour directors have told him that yet again they won't let him ride in the TdF, and the UCI is looking to take action against him.

[ilima]

Well, his team suspended him, and if they didn't give a reason then there would just be lots of rumors, which could be worse than the truth.

The general feeling seems to be that he needs to forget about his career, at least for now, so he can address his substance problems. I agree, I hope he's able to overcome them.

Do you think he has a substance abuse problem? I don't do illegal drugs (I stick to alcohol), but I do believe that people can be recreational drug users. I don't buy the adage that everyone who uses is an addict or abuser.

I know 'society' demands those who get busted go through drug rehab programs. But it's just for show for many.

[ny biker]

Based on this from velonews.com, yes, I think he has a problem.

Speaking on Belgian TV show Sporza on Saturday night, the 2005 world champion admitted that he had a problem.

"The night before the drug test, I went out," he said. "I stayed for a while and I drank. At some stage I must have taken something. Then I had a blackout.

"I think I have a problem. After spending three to four months working, when I go out I probably over-step the mark and I become someone else. For 364 days a year, it's perfect. I try to be an exemplary citizen. But the day that I drink too much, something that I don't do often, I change. I will now seek help."

[ilima]

Based on this from velonews.com, yes, I think he has a problem.

Speaking on Belgian TV show Sporza on Saturday night, the 2005 world champion admitted that he had a problem.

"The night before the drug test, I went out," he said. "I stayed for a while and I drank. At some stage I must have taken something. Then I had a blackout.

"I think I have a problem. After spending three to four months working, when I go out I probably over-step the mark and I become someone else. For 364 days a year, it's perfect. I try to be an exemplary citizen. But the day that I drink too much, something that I don't do often, I change. I will now seek help."

But couldn't that be him going through the motions he knows he has to do? Give the people what they want, tell them what they want to hear.

[ny biker]

Well since I don't know the guy, I can only go by what's in the news. But if someone knows he is subject to drug testing 24x7, and he knows getting caught will have a negative effect on his employment, and that's not enough to keep him from taking illegal drugs, and he gets caught more than once, and he takes the drugs knowing that he's on probation from a previous drug charge, then I think something is wrong with his ability to control his behavior.

[Possegal]

There is sort of a general rule of thumb - "is what you are doing adversely impacting your life?" If the answer is yes, and yet you persist in doing it, then there is a problem. This is two TdF's he's been booted from. He's in danger of losing his career. My take is, that is kind of the definition of a problem.

[smurfalicious]

He also said 'coke is everywhere.' Sorry, dude, but that ain't true. I haven't been offered coke in 20 years. It's only 'everywhere' when you're seeking it out and hanging with druggies.

Really? When you think of rodeo do you think or Coors Lite or cocaine? Let me tell you, there's coke all over in rodeo. Problem is that for a period of time it was almost socially acceptable among a certain business suit set. It was an upper class drug and to this day, even though you don't hear about it as much, it still is.

I have to agree that not all use is abuse. Unfortunately, that's what they preach in schools and DARE. They actually followed the original DARE graduates and found they did more drugs than those who didn't go through the program. One poor girl I read about while researching a speech on drug policy was totally destroyed by heroin. She basically said DARE told her if she smoked weed, she'd be an addict. When that didn't happen she figured it was all lies.

I just don't get why, if cocaine isn't illegal out of competition, why are they testing for it? And why is he in trouble for what he did in his spare time? This is just as ridiculous as pre-employment drug testing. When else are you assumed guilty and asked to prove your innocence. But hey, someone is making a LOT of money on it. I vote if I look tweaked out, send me out for testing. If I want to do lines off a hooker's tatas on the weekend and I come in fresh as a daisy Monday and kick butt at my job, leave me alone.

Seriously, half those guys are cheating their butts off and the party kid gets in trouble. Weak sauce!

I wish I could find the lecture Alexander Shulgin did about US drug policy. Fine, fine, lecture. If you ever have a chance, his book PIHKAL is amazing. And if you're not into hundreds of pages about his love story with Ann and his drug research group, just read the last chapter.