Cycling: UCI President hopes for quick resolution of the Froome affair

David Lappartient, President of the UCI World Cycling Federation, hopes that the affair with Christopher Froome, the four-time Tour de France winner, will soon be resolved.

Preferably before the start of the Giro d’ Italia on 4. Mr President, on 1 May in Jerusalem, there is to be clarity about the future of the British, who were struck by an increased level of salbutamol.

“I hope so. The case is very bad for cycling. He is the most famous driver we have,”said the 44-year-old Frenchman in an interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

In mid-December it became known that Froome had been positively tested in a doping test during his Vuelta triumph in September. A urine sample of the 32-year-old from Team Sky showed a too high concentration of the asthma drug salbutamol.

Since the ingestion of the substance is permitted up to a limit value, Froome has the possibility of explaining the double the increased measurement value according to UCI regulations. Froome is allowed to continue racing until the matter has been clarified, a ban was not imposed.

“The rights of the driver must be respected. He may submit justifications,”said Lappartient. At the same time, the UCI boss, who has been in office since September last year, made it clear that there was “no special treatment” for Froome,”even if some drivers say so.”

Lappartient listed reasons for tough decision-making. Froome’s arguments could trigger a debate between experts “Froome is no driver like any other. He’s got more money. He can bring in more experts to express himself. He or she can produce more supporting documents. We can’t just wipe the statements off the table. The case must be solved quickly, but the rights of the driver must be respected,”he said.