February 23/04 5:32 am - Jeanson Without Licence, Track Injuries, Espoir Project, Coaching Conference

Posted by Editor on 02/23/04
 

Jeanson Without Licence, Duquette Hearing Re-opens

Canadian Cyclist has learned that Genèvieve Jeanson is currently without a racing licence, which is the primary reason she was unable to start the Valley of the Sun stage race in Arizona earlier this month. The stated reason at the time was that Jeanson was sick, and a spokesperson for Jeanson says that she did have a sore throat, but also confirmed that she had not been issued a racing licence by the FQSC (Fédération Québécoise des sports cyclistes).

According to the Rona team, the problem is one of paperwork, caused by the FQSC. However, FQSC Director General Louis Barbeau denies this, although he was unwilling to comment on the exact reason for the delay.

"She'll have a licence, and will be able to race at Redlands (April), but I can't comment any more on the reasons (for the delay) at this point."

It is highly unusual for a rider of Jeanson's calibre not to have a licence by this point in the season, since it is expected that professionals will begin their racing season early in warmer climates. There is speculation that the delay is part of a negotiating tactic by the CCA and the FQSC to force Jeanson to provide answers to their enquiries regarding her forced withdrawal at the Road Worlds in Hamilton last Fall.

Jeanson recorded a hematocrit level higher than allowed the day of the women's road race (in which she was a favourite to medal), which means a mandatory suspension of racing privileges for 15 days. The subsequent urine test for banned substances came back negative (Jeanson has never tested positive), but the event completely overshadowed the actual women's road race, and was a huge embarassment to the CCA. Jeanson's hematocrit level was never revealed.

Jeanson did have a meeting before Christmas with the CCA to discuss her situation and answer questions, according to Barbeau.

"Yes, we met, with some members of a scientific commission present, to ask some questions. Some questions were answered and some remained unanswered. We were able to get some of the answers we were looking for, but not all of them."

The situation was compounded by an inquiry by the Quebec College of Physicians and Surgeons into inappropriate prescription of EPO by Doctor Maurice Duquette, who was Jeanson's doctor. While both Jeanson and Duquette denied that he had ever prescribed EPO to her, Duquette pled guilty to 13 charges, including one concerning Jeanson (he subsequently released a statement saying that the Jeanson charge was false), and was sanctioned. Jeanso also held a press conference to admit that her name was one of the ones listed in the College inquiry.

That affair has now been re-opened, with a hearing scheduled to take place March 22nd in Montreal. Duquette has reportedly fired his lawyer and hired a new one, arguing that the first lawyer did not have permission to plead guilty on the doctor's behalf. It is unclear what the new plea will be: guilty, not guilty, or guilty to only some of the charges. The latter could mean that Duquette will admit to inappropriate prescribing of EPO to some patients, but not to Jeanson, for example.

There has long been friction between the national team, other national team members (particularly Lyne Bessette), and Jeanson and her coach (Andre Aubut). With 2004 an Olympic year, and with Jeanson still not having met the full Olympic qualification criteria, the national body may be trying to exert some pressure on Jeanson to become more of a team player.

Jeanson is currently training in Arizona. In addition to Redlands, she is scheduled to race at the Sea Otter Classic and then go to Europe to compete in the Fleche Wallonne Women's World Cup (April 21st), where she needs to achieve a top-8 result in order to fulfill the Olympic eligibility criteria.


Injuries in Florida

The CCA is currently holding a track camp in Florida. Two riders have had to drop out due to injuries: Pascal Choquette with a broken toe and bruno Langlois with an elbow injury.


CCA Announces Spring Espoir Project Team
Courtesy CCA

February 23, 2004- The riders who will make up the Canadian team for the CCA spring Espoir project have been selected after a training camp at the Pacific Sport National Cycling Centre in Victoria, B.C.

National coach Yury Kashirin and national espoir coach Jacky Hardy chose seven riders who will travel to Normandy, France, for an intensive program of competition under the guidance of Hardy, a French former Tour de France rider recently hired by the CCA.

This will bring the total of Canadian espoirs racing in France to 12.

With French clubs:
Cameron Evans, 20, Delta, B.C.
Murray Carter, 21, St. Anne, Man.
Francois Parisien, 21, Repentigny, Que.
Dominique Rollin, 21, Boucherville, Que.
Marc Bomhof, 21, Lethbridge, Alta.

To join French clubs at a later date:
Andrew Scott, 21, of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Nathan St-Onge, 22, of Amherst, N.S.

The CCA plan had originally been to select six riders for the spring project, but Kashirin said the quality of the riders and the effort and dedication they showed at the camp justified the expense of sending the extra team member.

Remarkably, four of the selected riders are from Atlantic Canada, and three of them train out of the Atlantic Cycling Centre in Dieppe, N.B., which was founded in 2001. This is a remarkable payoff after just three years.

"This is really important for us," said Atlantic Centre head coach Luc Arseneau of the growth in Atlantic national team memebers. "Four years ago Peter Wedge was the only one, basically. Since we got the Centre it's just been increasing and increasing."

The European project espoir team is:
Cory Jay, 21, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Chris Isaac, 21, Newmarket, Ont.
Bradley Fairall, 18, North Vancouver, B.C.
Warren Tilbrook, 20, Fonthill, Ont.
Jean-Luc Pilote, 18, Beresford, N.B.
Dustin MacBurnie, 22, Truro, N.S.
Christian Meier, 19, Sussex, N.B.

Canadian cycling fans will remember that Cory Jay and Chris Isaac were both on the Canadian espoir team at the 2003 World Road Cycling Championships in Hamilton, while Christian Meier was on the junior team and Bradley Fairall was first alternate for the junior team.

The espoirs will travel to France on Feb. 27, and will start racing on March 7. The full race schedule is below.

03/07 Prix IMTEC FRA 1.13
03/14 Maillot des Jeunes SNCF FRA 1.13
03/21 La Route Tourangelle FRA 1.7.1
03/24 GP Waregam BEL 1.7
03/28 Super Prestige Espoirs FRA 1.13
04/02 - 04/04 Tryptique Monts & Chateaux BEL 2.7
04/8 - 04/11 Circuit des Ardennes FRA 2.6
04/14 La Côte Picarde FRA 1.7
04/18 Prix de Nogent-sur-Oise FRA 1.6
04/25 Paris-Mantes FRA 1.7
05/01 Liège-Bastogne-Liège BEL 1.7
05/06 - 05/09 Tour de la Manche FRA 2.6
05/15 - 05/16 Loire Atlantique FRA 2.13
05/20 - 05/23 Ronde de l'Isard FRA 2.7
05/30 Paris-Roubaix FRA 1.7


Coaching Project
Courtesy CCA

February 23, 2004 - Please be advised that a Continental Cycling Technical Coaching Course of the Pan American Olympic Solidarity Program will be held from May 10 to 19, 2004 in Uruguay. The Canadian Cycling Association has the priviledge to send one representative coach at this course.

All Level 3 coaches interested in attending this course must provided their name, a short resume and a recommendation from their Provincial Cycling Association to the CCA, prior to March 8, 2004. The CCA will forward the Canadian Olympic Committee official application to the selected representative.

For additional information, please contact Christine Lafontaine at 613-248-1353, ext. 2604, fax 613-248-9311 or by e-mail clafontaine@canadian-cycling.com.