January 26/06 9:44 am - Quebec Media Attacks Aubut

Posted by Editor on 01/26/06
 

Quebec Media Attacks Aubut

Radio Canada and La Presse are going after Genevieve Jeanson's controversial coach, André Aubut, with one ex-Rona rider comparing him to a sex offender and calling him a "sport offender".

From Radio-Canada.ca (posted Wednesday):

Jeanson saga - Andre Aubut remains silent.

Now that the career of Genevieve Jeanson has ended, many are beginning to question the role played by Mr. Andre Aubut, Jeanson's coach. Since the announcement of Jeanson's suspension, Aubut has kept silent, not commenting on the situation.

Was Jeanson simply too gullible (innocent)? Now that the suspension is a reality, many are pointing the finger at Aubut for Jeanson's problems. One thing seems to be certain - the relation between her and her coach was unhealthy.

Catherine Marsal, who was Jeanson teammate in 2003 on Rona, was interviewed by the Radio Canada TV station on Wednesday. She had harsh words about Aubut "In my opinion, in women's cycling there are sport offenders, just like sex offenders who gain the trust of kids by giving them candies, the sport offenders make the athletes dream of medals and gain the trust necessary to control and dominate the athlete..."

Marsal had already criticized Aubut when she officially left the team in November of 2003.

Similar conditions also forced another teammate, Emilie Roy, to quit the Rona team in the spring of 2004.

When interviewed by Radio Canada on Wednesday, Miss Roy explained what Aubut had her and Jeanson live through during that period. " It was not enough to tell us what went wrong, it was just crushing us until we had no self confidence left, until we could not stand up anymore, it was really to the limit, when we were down he would go on. Just like a boxer knocking out someone and still continuing to hit."

Louis Barbeau, FQSC Executive Director, adds " I can't comment about Aubut regarding doping, but I saw how he acted with Genevieve Jeanson, I talked with athletes that rode on his team and saw how he acted, saw him bawl her out, saw him throw a radio at her after a race because he was not happy with the result."

Catherine Marsal believe that Aubust should be suspended for life, to avoid, she says, that such a mess ever happen again.


The La Presse article, by Simon Drouin, goes further, with Marsal saying that Aubut should be banned from sport and blaming Jeanson's parents for allowing the situation:

"I would never have let my 17 year old daughter go with a 40 year old person to Arizona at a training camp for six months without really knowing what passed there. I think that the parents should have kept more control on their daughter. "

Marsal also said that Jeanson was a champion who would have won races without doping.

The full La Presse article can be found Here.

Editor's Note: I witnessed similar behaviour at the 2001 National Road Championship in Dieppe, New Brunswick. After losing by a few seconds to Lyne Bessette in the time trial, Jeanson disappeared behind the school where the race headquarters were situated. I headed around the corner to interview her, and came upon a confrontation between Jeanson and Aubut.

Aubut was yelling and gesticulating at Jeanson, who stood there with her head hung. She eventually handed him her radio, which he flung back at her, hitting her in the chest.

I went to a senior staff member with the Canadian team explaining what I had seen, and asking if there was some action that could be taken. He looked very depressed, shrugged his shoulders helplessly and said that there was nothing they could do, that the parents supported Aubut and that they couldn't get anywhere.