Katusha não será castigada, porque a UCI considera que Paolini usou cocaína para fins 'recreativos'

Luca Paolini (na imagem) *

Nos últimos dias, depois do positivo de Vorganov, um dos assuntos mais falados pelos meios ligados ao ciclismo, era a possibilidade da Katusha ser castigada. Foi o segundo positivo em menos de 12 meses, o que pela lei, poderia dar uma suspensão da competição de 15 a 45 dias.

O passado da Katusha também não é nada agradável, com diversos casos ao longo dos anos, sendo que em 2013 a equipa russa esteve perto de ver suspensa a sua actividade.

Hoje para surpresa de muitos, a UCI lançou um comunicado onde se pode ler que a equipa russa não irá ser castigada, já que a entidade que regula o ciclismo considera que o positivo de Luca Paolini foi devido ao uso de cocaína para fins 'recreativos'.

Aqui fica o comunicado:

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The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that the President of the Disciplinary Commission has determined that: "The conditions for a suspension of Team Katusha in application of art. 7.12.1 the UCI Anti-Doping Rules have not been met."

Following the notification of a second case of an Adverse Analytical Finding (*) in the UCI WorldTeam Katusha within a twelve-month period, the UCI referred the matter to the Disciplinary Commission on 6 February.

The President of the Disciplinary Commission based this decision on the following considerations, among others:

“The text of the article [7.12.1] refers to the fact that the decision must take into account "all the circumstances of the case";

“With regard to the [Paolini case, it has been] established that the rider's taking of cocaine was not related to an intention to influence sporting performance but was rather taken on a "recreational" basis;

“In this context, applying a suspension under article 7.12.1 when one of the two cases of Adverse Analytical Finding relates to [the use of] a social drug cannot be reconciled with the aim of the article. Even if, strictly speaking, such a case falls within the application of the anti-doping rules for the rider concerned, the imposition of negative consequences for the whole team would be inappropriate and disproportionate”;

“It is understood that the intention of the article is to impose negative consequences on teams that lack control of doping for sporting purposes by their athletes, or if even worse scenarios exist, and/or if teams are not doing enough to fight such doping”;

“The President of the Commission has expressed that he could share the view that it would be disproportionate to suspend a team on the basis that one of its members [uses] a social drug, the consumption of which is not related to sporting performance”. 

(*): Summary of the two cases:

On 10 July 2015, Luca Paolini, a rider from the UCI WorldTeam Katusha, was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (presence of cocaine) relating to a sample taken during an in-competition test on 7 July 2015. A disciplinary procedure before the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal is under way.

On 5 February 2016, Eduard Vorganov was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (presence of Meldonium) in a sample collected during an out-of-competition control on 14 January 2016. The rider is provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the affair. 

Fonte:http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/decision-the-disciplinary-commission-concerning-the-uci-worldteam-katusha/

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Depois de ler o comunicado, importa realizar algumas questões:

- Porque é que a cocaína está na lista das substâncias proibidas?

- Se a cocaína não deveria estar na lista, porque é que ainda não foi retirada? 

- Porque é que a Katusha não é castigada e o Paolini é?

- O que é que o senhor Cookson tem a dizer sobre isto? Concorda com esta decisão?

- O que é que as outras equipas têm a dizer sobre isto?

O MPCC deverá nos próximos dias, emitir a sua decisão. Será que a Katusha irá abandonar o MPCC, caso a decisão não seja do seu agrado?

* Fonte da foto/Photo source: AFP