After the positive doping test by cycling star Christopher Froome, four-time time trial world champion Tony Martin has sharply criticised the actions of the UCI and has made accusations of concealment.”I am totally angry. In the case of Christopher Froome is definitely measured with double standards,”Martin wrote in a statement on his homepage.
Katusha professional Martin continued:”What’s going on here is inconsistent, intransparent, unprofessional and unfair. For me and for the public, it immediately gives the impression that behind-the-scenes mumbling is taking place, that arrangements are being made and that ways are being sought to get him out of this case. Do he and his team have special status?”
Other athletes would be blocked immediately after a “positive trial”. He and his team were given time by the UCI to explain themselves. I am not aware of any such case in the recent past,”said the 32-year-old:”This is a scandal, especially since he was not even allowed to compete at the World Championships any more,” where Froome had won the bronze medal at the Vuelta Time Trial just two weeks after his positive test, and Martin had ninth place.
According to Martin, the action in the Froome case “leads the heavy anti-doping fight, which I and drivers like Marcel Kittel lead with one blow to absurdity. Our credibility and that of our great sport is at stake. We need a consistent and transparent approach from UCI.”
Four-time Tour winner Froome had been tested in a doping test during his Vuelta triumph in September. The World Cycling Federation UCI officially announced this only on Wednesday.
Accordingly, the 32-year-old Briton’s urine sample from Team Sky showed an increased concentration of the asthma drug Salbutamol during the round trip to Spain. The B-sample confirmed the result of the A-sample.