Yolande de Villiers sanctioned for anti-doping rule violation

[Skubarra]

Or lets think about the unthinkable for a minute, maybe they're doping and TUE is the only possible explanation.  

 

I don't quite share your cynicism. But yes, every time a pro gets nailed for getting their TUE's wrong, the "I was ignorant with the process" excuse gets weaker and weaker.

[Patchelicious]

you can just type the name of that drug on the SAIDS website and it says its banned?

 

bat she can race other races this year right? 

 

Typed it in on http://www.drugfreesport.org.za/online-medication-check/

 

and got this back immediately.

 

HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE Category: PROHIBITED in-and-out of competition

 

[Andrew Steer]

I feel a bit for Yolande, she is just a 40yr old farm lady from Oudtshoorn that loves to ride her bike. She doesn't really need the prize money, but I've no doubt the Epic ban and any other bans that may follow will hurt her far more. 

 

But rules is rules, as much as I personally won't join the lynch mob and put her in the same cat as some of our other recent fallen heroes... she is in that cat. 

[EmptyB]

How long has she been racing as a pro??.......and she's not familiar with the process despite the fact that its permanently in the spot light!!!!

[BarHugger]

Fair enough

 

But say she does have the medical condition (which I am sure can be proven or disproven), are we saying it was just an amazing lucky coincidence that she now had an excuse to use a masking agent while doping up on other stuff?

Nobody wants to go down in an embarrassing blaze of glory....it's easier to just say....ek is tos jammer....my kop het uitgehaak.....

[jcza]

I feel a bit for Yolande, she is just a 40yr old farm lady from Oudtshoorn that loves to ride her bike. She doesn't really need the prize money, but I've no doubt the Epic ban and any other bans that may follow will hurt her far more. 

 

But rules is rules, as much as I personally won't join the lynch mob and put her in the same cat as some of our other recent fallen heroes... she is in that cat. 

 

Nice person, salt of the earth etc. Not a doper. Only Lance type personalities dope. 

[BarHugger]

 

 

I guess they are pro riders because they can go fast on a bike not because they are intellectual giants.

 

 

It's Monday....not Friday....so I will go as easy as I can with this one.....but wow....maybe they just chose their one given talent above the other.....

[raptor-22]

Perhaps people who don't cheat never consider that they could fall foul of the system due to ignorance .

Bring naive is not a crime.

[Patchelicious]

Nice person, salt of the earth etc. Not a doper. Only Lance type personalities dope. 

You saying charitable people dope?

[BarHugger]

Perhaps people who don't cheat never consider that they could fall foul of the system due to ignorance .

Bring naive is not a crime.

This I can support....and sincerely hope this is the case.....on a different tangent and no bearing on the post above....what constitutes  someone being a nice person....some people can live with someone for years and never know their true character or dark secrets they may hide...meeting someone at a race and they come across as pleasant or chatting merrily and civilly here on the hub....having some beers on regular occasions and whatever else....can never tell us about the true person....

Edited February 15, 2016 by BarHugger

[jcza]

You saying charitable people dope?

 

Give his jerseys back already! 

 

Raised millions for charity - check

Promoted cycling worldwide - check 

Cancer survivor - check

All round good guy - check (ok maybe not) 

[Andrew Steer]

Nice person, salt of the earth etc. Not a doper. Only Lance type personalities dope. 

 

Fair point, she's a doper... not debating that. But are all dopers really made equal?

 

Why do you suppose she declared her doping for 4yrs if it was a malicious act?

I don't have proof of the above, just several peoples word on it, but it definitely does seem to explain the incredibly lenient ban she recieved  

 

Maybe SAIDS saving face since it took them 3yrs to bust someone that was regularly, albeit unknowingly declaring her doping?

[jcza]

Fair point, she's a doper... not debating that. But are all dopers really made equal?

 

Why do you suppose she declared her doping for 4yrs if it was a malicious act?

I don't have proof of the above, just several peoples word on it, but it definitely does seem to explain the incredibly lenient ban she recieved

 

Maybe SAIDS saving face since it took them 3yrs to bust someone that was regularly, albeit unknowingly declaring her doping?

 

I just cannot believe the incredibly bad luck these athletes have. 

 

If you have a look at the Elite testing pool for MTB in South Africa you probably have 10 ladies and 20 guys that will be winning 80% or more of the races. So for 4 years she was taking meds (if the story is to be believed) and she was totally unaware of the existence of a list of banned substances or the need for a TUE when taking these substances. 

[JXV]

The explanation leaves me reasonably certain that there was no attempt to cheat here. But rules are rules and a rider competing at high level should make an effort to get to know them.

 

But there are other guilty parties here.......guilty perhaps of an uncaring attitude and not nurturing our sport as we would expect them to.

CSA could have included in its public statement that no evidence of an intent to cheat was found, simply that the penalty was administrative for failing to follow the rules....instead they made a very minimal statement that hid their own ( and SAIDS) shortcomings and allowed her reputation to be trashed in public.

 

The reason I say there were shortcomings are multiple:

1) the athlete disclosed the use of prescription medicine when tested....multiple times.... but wasn't ever advised of the correct procedure or assisted with it?

2) so much time went by between testing and discilinary action that the athlete continued to compete in good faith, racking up podiums and prize money to the extent that she is now much more embarrassed by events than was necessary. This administrative negligence was also detrimental to other cyclists that followed all the rules. Why culdn't they have suspended her after the first declaration of using a listed substance without a TUE and helped her to get it sorted.

3) announcing the ban after its period has already elapsed shows that serious administrative deficiencies exist and yet no acknowledgment of this in a statement, nor any public commitment to improve the administrative rules that allowed this to happen.

These authorities are mandated by their members to govern the sport on our behalf and we pay fees for this service. As such they are answerable to their members (us) when they fail. Hiding does not cut it with me.

 

I think cyclists deserve better treatment.

[Andrew Steer]

I just cannot believe the incredibly bad luck these athletes have. 

 

If you have a look at the Elite testing pool for MTB in South Africa you probably have 10 ladies and 20 guys that will be winning 80% or more of the races. So for 4 years she was taking meds (if the story is to be believed) and she was totally unaware of the existence of a list of banned substances or the need for a TUE when taking these substances. 

 

Hey, that's my line! 

 

I think she's pretty lucky... got to ride for three years longer than she maybe should of!

 

You got another explanation for the overly lenient ban???

 

And yes, I'm going a bit on gut here too    

[andydude]

Huh, actually yes. She received a lifetime ban from the Epic. And she has to pay back prize money.

 

I believe that she made a mistake. Not all Drs are knowledgeable on elite athletes and meds and SAIDS and UCI and and and and....

 

Can you please point to the source saying she has to pay back all the prize money won in 2015, as well as sponsorship money? And also that it's going to the next people moving up one position?

 

If you are an elite athlete, would you not visit a doctor that knows about sport and the prohibited list? If you want a divorce, do you go to a patent lawyer?

 

I tend to agree with you that it looks like she made an honest mistake, but the rules are the rules and she cheated. End-van-prent.