Phonak fires Hamilton

[tywhy]

Woah. so I'm guessing this means Hamiltons year is fucked.

http://velonews.com/race/int/articles/7257.0.html

bummer.

[Plakespear]

Well, he'l probably find another team willing to take him, but it probably won't be strong enough to make him a Tour contender. He'll be lucky to get on a team that even qualifies for a grand tour next season. He'll more or less be "sent to the minors". Perhaps he'll race domestically this year.

[Stu Gotz]

How about USPS / Discovery Channel.

Lance races the other tours and Hamilton is the leader for the TDF. Discovery has its American hero for the TDF and Lance can win some of the other tours that he has been Jonesing for.

[Artie Fufkin]

Woah. so I'm guessing this means Hamiltons year is fucked.

http://velonews.com/race/int/articles/7257.0.html

bummer.

Actually Floyd Landis' year could be fucked. He left Disco and signed with Phonak. Phonak is now excluded from the Pro Tour. Luckily he has an out in his contract if they did not make the Pro Tour. But it is late in the game to get on a new team and get some good money.

Disco won't even come close to touching Tyler, his career could be done. Maybe he 'll pick up the skis again.

[onehotchili]

this is definitely a bummer for Phonak, American cycling, and especially Tyler. last week while in Boston, i was talking to my old college roommate, who used to race the junior racing circuit on the same team with Tyler (and was better at the time!) and he believes Tyler is still clean. i knew Tyler from ski racing and i also think he is clean *unless* he took something unknowingly. in any case, either way, it doesn't look good for him... especially since he is 34 y/o his time is running out for a shot at the TdF.

btw, if they employ the same testing for TdF that caught Tyler... i wouldn't be surprised if Lance bows out of that race. i know i am just speculating and i am a huge fan of Lance, but he is simply on a way higher level than all these other cyclists and i beleive only so much can be attributed to pure natural ability and work ethic.... but this is only my opinion. my college buddy disagrees with me, but what do we know.... we're just a couple of has-beens ;-)

[Benny Profane]

Tyler should suck up to some bandage company, like J & J, for sponsorship.
I could see the commercials now, maybe shared with Curt Schilling.

[Artie Fufkin]

Goodbye cycling career...

From Cyclingnews.com:

"Hamilton suspended for two years

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has announced the long awaited decision of the independent arbitration panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), that cyclist Tyler Hamilton of Boulder, Colorado committed a doping infraction by transfusing another person's blood. The 34 year-old Hamilton received the maximum two-year suspension for a first-time doping offense.

The majority of the AAA/CAS Panel rejected Hamilton's defence and found that his positive sample was "due to a homologous blood transfusion." Based on blood screens taken in the spring and summer of 2004, Union Cycliste International (UCI) warned Hamilton and his team that Hamilton was suspected of manipulating his blood. Following these warnings, UCI target-tested Hamilton and he tested positive.

The case was referred to USADA for handling by the UCI. The scheduling of the case was expedited by USADA at Hamilton's request. However, the AAA/CAS Panel provided Hamilton over a month extension following the hearing to submit any additional evidence in his defense. USADA did not object to the extension.

"UCI took the necessary action to protect the integrity of its sport," said USADA Chief Executive Officer Terry Madden. "This decision shows that sport is committed to protecting the rights of all clean athletes and that no athlete is above the rules."

Hamilton tested positive at the Vuelta de España on September 11, 2004 and forfeits all results achieved from that date. His two-year period of suspension ends on April 17, 2007."


I am not a doctor, nor do I know much about the science behind all of this, but his defense seemed pretty bizarre:

"In Hamilton's defence, the chimera 'vanishing twin' argument was put forward by David Housman, a genetics expert and MIT professor, who presented expert testimony. He claimed that cells can transfer from one to unborn twin to another in the womb, "and bone marrow cells can persist for life." Both USADA and WADA have dismissed this theory, which could be easily verified by further testing on Hamilton."

[CS]

yeah, poor guy. He cheated, got caught and got booted. I really feel for him.