Dear UCI: about Mr Frank Schleck....

Dear Mr McQuaid,

I write on behalf of all the Schlecklanders to ask you to expedite the enquiry into Frankie's adverse finding which occurred during the Tour last month.

You will remember that he tested positive for a diuretic: not a banned substance, but a substance that gives cause for concern, and he immediately withdrew from the Tour to save you embarrassment, even though under your rules, he was not compelled to do so.

We are concerned that you are going to keep him dangling on a string for 18 months or more, as you did for Alberto Contador. In fact, we are very concerned, as we know that Mr Contador is one of your pets, whereas Frankie is not, so he might be even worse treated (if you'll excuse the grammar) than Contador.

What was that? Contador is not one of your pets? Of course he is, you found a banned substance in his tests, not once but over four days, and you told him to carry on racing. And when the news was leaked - oh, how cross you must have been about that! - you still didn't ban him until WADA and CAS forced you to, leaving us all to struggle with this ridiculous situation where he lost several months-worth of results, impacting on everyone else who took part in every single one of those races.

At least Frankie has the decency to avoid racing while he is sorting out this matter. And don't forget that by voluntarily avoiding racing, he is losing UCI points (ie devaluing himself for next year) he is losing money in possibly wins and bonuses, he is losing form, he is losing his reputation: it is not a small matter for a rider who is right at his peak. Last year he came 3rd in the Tour, may I remind you, his best result to date, which could be taken to indicate that these are his "best" pro years: and now you are going to spoil what should be his prime racing time, if you don't get off your backside and get this issue sorted out quickly.

Not to mention the fallout in his personal life: his wife, his child, his family, his friends, all now doing their damned best to be supportive and to ignore that tiny, tiny voice saying "but what if...?" Luxembourg is a tiny country, and he is very well-known there, which must be extremely uncomfortable for him on a daily basis. And I hardly need mention the effect this must be having on his younger brother Andy Schleck, three times podium placed on the Tour, and (legally) once the winner.

You know what is going to happen next: Frankie's own federation is of course going to say "accidental ingestion, all charges dropped, cleared to race" and you at the UCI are of course going to say "whoa, hold on, biased, let's have an investigation and a ban" so for heaven's sake, get together with the Lux federation NOW and work it out.

And for god's sake DO SOMETHING about the issue of contamination of food supplements.

Coug
And the Schlecklanders