A mess!  This looks a lot like UCI/McQuaid of old.  I hope Cookson can pull his head out, admit he has been heavy handed, that a clear uniform standard needs to be in place and put good people in charge to make it happen.

T-S hires Kreuziger early 2013, knowing of his alleged involvement with Dr. Ferrari in 2006-7 but not of the irregularities in his biopassport 2011 and '12.  They learned of that June 2013.  (Wikipedia)  This May it came up again and T-S benched him for the Tour. Now UCI wants to provisionally suspend him citing Rule 242, "…the Anti-Doping Commission or one of its members may ban the Rider from participating in Events for such time that the violation, in the opinion of the Anti-Doping Commission or such member, is likely to affect the Rider’s results." (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kreuziger-to-appeal-to-cas-after-uci-biological-passport-suspension)

"... for such time that the violation ... is likely to affect the Rider’s results."  Huh?  So UCI is claiming that the abnormalities detected two and three years ago are affecting today's results?  And because of this, T-S is supposed to sit him down?  Do they pay him?  Can they not pay a rider under contract who is not formally penalized?  Sounds to me like UCI is changing the rules mid-stream and that T-S has a real case to take to civil court.  I suspect T-S would win easily.

I don't blame Mr Tinkoff one bit for being upset.  And I believe UCI is going to find out quickly they upset the wrong man.  Hopefully this will all work out for the good, but it is making Brian Cookson look bad and probably doing real harm to his efforts to overhaul UCI.

This is not really about whether Kreuziger drugged.  It is about UCI knowing about these passport "abnormalities" that did not actually cross UCI's own line but not giving T-S the information it needed to make sound business decisions.  This appears to be UCI making closed door judgement calls, then arbitrary rulings based on those calls that affect a rider, a team, sponsors and the sport.  I feel like I've heard this before.

Ben