Frank Schleck failed drug test yesterday what are your thoughts?

Very disappointing.

As an athletics coach I've seen lists of banned substances.

They are usually listed in groups, and each group has the words 'and related substances' at the bottom, which makes it rather difficult for someone to be 100% certain that what they are eating and drinking is 100% safe.

While I understand that each athlete, or rider, and his / her coach should take the main responsibility, I can also see how someone could take a banned substance by accident.

The history of cycling, and because of it's publicity, the Tour de France in particular, is littered with drug abuse allegations, and unfortunately people see the headlines, and assume the worst.

While I'm not saying that Frank Schleck is innocent, I do think that we should wait until after the inquiry into this incident before we start casting stones in his direction.

It would indeed be a very foolish rider who arrives at the start line of the tdf knowing, or even suspecting, that there is anything illegal in his body, especially given the amount of testing being done, and the publicity that is being generated.

OK, some athletes may use banned substances during training, and stop using them some time before competition in the hope that the substance will have worked it's way out of their system, but there are out of competition testing procedures, so this shouldn't be possible. I know that some athletes I've coached have had to give samples when they are not competing, but obviously some will slip through the net.

Like most things like this, an athlete being caught using, or suspected of using, a banned substance is headline news. A few months later when he or she is cleared, it's relegated to 'also in the news' section, buried somewhere near the back of the paper.

Apparently, cycling hasn't cleaned house yet. Until it gets serious about doping, this

sort of thing will just keep on happening.

A bit surprised, and saddened. I only hope his brother is cleaner.