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cycling: The latest voices on the Froome case - and a fall

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Chris Froome

Cycling: Winter is rarely the preferred season for a professional cyclist. This is particularly true of Chris Froome (Sky) at the moment. A few weeks ago, it was announced that the Briton was found to be too high in a doping test at the Vuelta a Espana. The fans are disappointed - and so are the experts. A number of personalities spoke up this week as well. Chris Froome himself has not commented on the allegations in the past few days. Instead, the 32-year-old is currently training in South Africa. But not everything is going perfectly there either: Froome sustained minor injuries as a result of a fall.

Tim Wellens: "I'm against inhalers"

It was and is a shock for cycling: Chris Froome was found to have an increased concentration of the substance salbutamol at the Vuelta a Espana. After the test that had become public, the Briton defended himself. He is known to have asthma and is licensed to inhale up to a threshold of 1000 nanograms per milliliter. Too bad the inspectors found almost twice that amount in Froome's body. Many fans are wondering why there are any exemptions for asthma diseases. Tim Wellens from Team Lotto Soudal has his very own opinion on this topic:

“Sometimes I also feel a certain discomfort in the bronchi. I've learned that with one puff of an inhaler, I can increase my breathing capacity by seven or even eight percent. The doctors told me that I can use such an inhaler even without a certificate. But I am against these inhalers. I don't want to improve my breathing by XNUMX percent that way. I'm definitely against it, but a lot of people use it. It really bothers me. Sure, some riders have no other choice, but it is up to everyone to decide with their soul and conscience whether we want to use certain products or not. I would like clear rules, black and white and not these gray areas. We all know that there are many benefits from a product like cortisone – and that's in the gray area.”

Brian Holm: "I'm guessing nine months"

Brian Holm - former cyclist for the German team Telekom and now sports director at Quick-Step Floors - was critical of Chris Froome and Sky. During a training camp in Spain, he first attacked his colleague Dave Brailsford:

“His great plan to clean up cycling doesn't seem to be going so well. You know, he doesn't talk that much when things are going bad, that knight on his big white horse."

When asked what penalty he expects Chris Froome to face, Brian Holm was slightly cynical. The Dane appears to fear preferential treatment for the cycling star:

"I'm guessing nine months, but who knows? When he had to climb Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France, he was even given time instead of wasting it. This doesn't happen to any other cyclist. That was kind of weird, so who really knows…?”

Olaf Ludwig: "We must take action"

Former world-class sprinter Olaf Ludwig also spoke in Berlin. Like Brian Holm, the 57-year-old demands a ban of several months for Chris Froome. Not just for punishment, but above all to protect cycling. It's about credibility. Finally, Diego Ulissi was banned for nine months because of 1900 nanograms of salbutamol per milliliter. Alessandro Petacchi was even banned for twelve months with 1320 nanograms of salbutamol per milliliter.

“If cycling still wants to claim any credibility, action must be taken and the decision made before the season starts. I'm no medical professional, but I can't see how Froome would want to explain double the allowed value. You can't ban the Italian Ulissi years ago in a similar case and do nothing with Froome. Precisely because he has always campaigned for transparency.”

dr Michael Ferrari. "Without Salbutamol, Froome could not have won the Tour four times"

Lance Armstrong's former doping doctor Dr. Michele Ferrari spoke out about the Chris Froome case. Ferrari was banned for life by the American doping agency USADA after being involved in the Armstrong and US Postal doping system. However, the Italian has never withdrawn from the public eye. He repeatedly comments on current cases on his website and in his forum.

“Salbutamol is not a performance-enhancing product for non-diseased patients. It is also not true that it has an anabolic effect. There is no study that proves the opposite. I think Froome just overdid his moves, maybe not even on purpose. In the previous stages, its value seemed to fluctuate around 600 nanograms per milliliter. Perhaps he thought that doubling the dose would increase the value proportionally to 1200 nanograms per milliliter - not considering that when a certain dose is used, the metabolism of a certain drug can become saturated and a larger amount will be excreted in the urine. On closer inspection, one could say that without Salbutamol, Froome probably wouldn't have won the Tour de France four times. Just like a rider with a hematocrit of 38 without EPO will not. Both substances really tackle the injustice of genetics.”

Jan Frodeno: "Salbutamol helps with pregnancy... right, Chris?"

Jan Frodeno took a completely different path. The German triathlete is known on social media for his snappy and humorous comments. In a tweet he wrote directly to Chris Froome. He doesn't seem to fear the confrontation.

"...apparently salbutamol helps to relax during pregnancy. Do you have anything to say about that, Chris?”

Julie Harrington: "He is innocent until proven guilty."

Despite all the criticism and provocation, it's nice that someone jumped to the side of Chris Froome this week. Ironically, Julie Harrington, the chairwoman of the British Cycling Association, strongly criticized the way her compatriot was treated.

“It is a blow to the reputation of cycling and to the reputation of the athlete. Just look at the comments below the articles... people make up their own minds even though they have no proof. Too bad because the problem is that the process was leaked. While attempts are being made to prove why this negative analytical result came about, he is already being condemned by the court of public opinion. It is not blocked and is still available for selection. The athlete himself has the option to self-exclude, but under the rules of racing he is available and innocent until proven guilty.”

Chris Froome is silent, trains and falls

While the whole cycling world is discussing Chris Froome, the Brit has increasingly withdrawn from the public eye. This is particularly easy for him in South Africa, where he can pursue his training in peace. But things aren't quite as perfect there either, because the 32-year-old fell to the ground during a training session. On Instagram he published a photo showing abrasions. Although Team Sky immediately gave the all-clear, Froome himself removed the image. However, since the Internet does not forget anything, the photo naturally continues to circulate on the World Wide Web. It remains exciting in the case of Chris Froome - or are we already witnessing the case of Chris Froome?

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About Michael Behringer

Cycling with all its tactics, stage analyses, placements and forecasts are Michael Behringer's great passion. In 1996 he tracked his first Tour de France. Since then he has observed almost every race. His passion for cycling has been with him for over two decades. There is no end in sight.