Prolonging the pain in a long-drawn-out doping case isn't fair to the athlete, the sport or the public. But then again the process itself has to be fair and the outcome balanced and just - it simply takes time. Hinault also makes some good points on recent cases where the penalties applied have appeared somewhat umm, odd.
Hinault Frustrated By Delays In Contador Case | Cyclingnews.com
Hinault Frustrated By Delays In Contador Case | Cyclingnews.com
"Why drag the Contador case on so long? It is quite simple: yes or no," Hinault told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. "What is the point of WADA buying a steak to see whether or not it contains clenbuterol. The animal which was eaten by Contador has been dead much longer."
If found guilty of doping, Contador faces a two-year ban from competition. Regardless of the outcome of the case, Hinault called for anti-doping authorities to institute consistent bans on athletes across all sports. He cited the example of tennis player Richard Gasquet and swimmer Frederick Bousquet. Last year Gasquet's two-year ban for cocaine was reduced to two months after authorities accepted his defence that a kiss with a girl in Miami had caused his positive, while this year Bousquet was given a two-month ban after he tested positive for the banned stimulant Heptaminol.
"I hope every athlete is treated equally by WADA," said Hinault. "Richard Gasquet, the French tennis player, tests positive and gets away with it because he kissed a girl. The French world class swimmer Frederick Bousquet is positive and comes away with two months. Come on."
