Thomas Voeckler, one of the biggest stars in French cycling, has commented on the Jeannie Longo situation, saying that while he doesn’t want to rush to judgement over the alleged use of banned substances, that she has not behaved correctly as regards the whereabouts situation. Longo is facing a possible two year ban for not complying with the rules in relation to out of competition testing.
The Europcar rider has said that it is a rider’s responsibility to comply with the regulations in relation to out of competition testing. While he admitted that he himself has found it difficult to remember to fill out his whereabouts details in the past, he said that it must be done. “For three missed tests, Jeannie Longo is not excusable,” he told AFP.
This week Longo complained about the situation, calling for an investigation via her lawyers. She has protested that the l’Equipe newspaper found out about the situation before she did but, more seriously, has claimed that she was not legally obliged to be subject to the AFLD’s random testing pool for more than one year.
“Jeannie was notified of her membership [of the testing pool] in May 2008,” said her lawyer Pierre Albert. “In 2010 and 2011, the period of charges against our client, she was not in the target group, if one refers to the legislation.”
That point remains to be clarified; in many other countries, it is completely normal for riders to be part of the testing pool for their entire careers.
Vockler was asked about the claims that her husband and coach Patrice Ciprelli had purchased banned substances over the internet, and that he had indicated it was for his wife. For now, he said that he prefers to refer his judgement. “As for the order of EPO made by her husband, I can’t comment on it,” he said. “I'm not here to defend or to accuse him. I could never have imagined that such a matter would be affecting her.
“At her age, she has nothing to prove. The worst thing is we will never know if she is guilty as regards this ordering of EPO. Her image remains tainted…it is sad because she is an icon of cycling.”