Martel, Matthew S

I agree with Steve O. and Tom Woodcock! "A" deserves a suspension and B

should get a warning for shouting some profanities back.



I think it is in A's right to speak up to a rider that will not pull,

but he took it too far with the profanity and the spitting and carrying

it on to the next week! I am embarrassed for him.



Candi wrote "OBRA rule 13.2 says that riders can be disciplined for

Unsportsmanlike behavior, but is this anything other than the norm?" I

have not found this to be the norm and I have done 24 races this year! I

don't want this to be the norm! I hope everyone agrees. PLEASE let's nip

this type of behavior in the bud!



-----Original Message-----

From: Steve Ostrofsky [mailto:stev-@harbornet.com]

Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 1:52 PM

To: ob-@topica.com

Subject: [OBRA Chat] SALIVA!!!!!





"... I DO think that A's carrying this to the next event crosses the

line. Many things happen in the anger or effort of the moment, and 99%

of us get ticked off but eventually calm down and let it go. If A can't

do this, he has a potential problem with anger management that may put

others at risk. My vote is a warning for B, and a one race suspension

for A. As someone said earlier, behavior requires consequence."

Steve Ostrofsky

While Simeoni appears not to have complained to any CYCLING officials, the

last I heard was that the Italian courts were investigating whether or not

to charge Lance with "intimidation of a witness" (Simeoni is a witness in

the Dr. M. Ferrarri case).



The delicious irony in using this as an example is of course, that Simeoni

complained about being spit upon after the famous (infamous??) chasedown

and return to the peloton.



Regarding the issue at hand, while B might be a wimp (and is certainly

guilty of not pulling -- the crime of crimes!!!!), I don't think that's a

punishable offence. Nor do I think that A's initial yelling and cursing

warrants much more than a warning (I think I've actually heard one or two

curse words myself in 30 years of racing). However, I DO think that A's

carrying this to the next event crosses the line. Many things happen in the

anger or effort of the moment, and 99% of us get ticked off but eventually

calm down and let it go. If A can't do this, he has a potential problem

with anger management that may put others at risk. My vote is a warning for

B, and a one race suspension for A. As someone said earlier, behavior

requires consequence.