"If he were a cyclist, he gets two years and is considered a fool" - Jerome Pineau outraged by tennis star Jannik Sinner negotiating for a mere 3-month doping ban
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In the past, doping has been previously mainly an issue of cycling, athletics and endurance sports in general. But doping has now suddenly become the main topic in a sport as distant as tennis. And the player in question is none other than ATP ranking no.1 Jannik Sinner, who was issued a three-month ban after an investigation concluded by WADA (World Anti-doping agency) concluded a cross-contamination as a cause.
"There are three subjects. First, the position of the athlete in relation to his sport. That is to say that he is number one and it is his sport itself that must not be attacked. If it is a cyclist, as number one as he is, he gets two years," explains Jerôme Pineau annoyedly during the show Les Grandes Gueules du Sport.
The Frenchman clearly refers to the case that shook the cycling world in 2012. The then six-time Grand tour champion Alberto Contador was revealed to had been tested positive for anabolics during his triumph at the 2010 Tour de France. Subsequently, his results from the 2010-12 period were deleted with a retrospective two-year ban. The Spanish climber was allowed to return and win his second Vuelta a Espana later that year.
"Alberto Contador, for nano milligrams of clenbuterol, he was suspended. Why? Because at the time, blood transfusions were suspected in cycling. And in tennis it is not possible? Can't we make blood bags in tennis to recover after each tournament? Stop making fun of people," Pineau is outraged.
"How can you negotiate a suspension when you're world number one? You can't, you're either doping or not," he continues. "If there's suspicion, there are experts for that. There's a method that lets you know what really happened thanks to hair analysis."
Pineau notes that in the sport of cycling, the Italian wouldn't have gotten away so easily. "I can tell you that if it's a cyclist, he gets two years, he's considered a fool and he's banned from everyone. Here, we made an arrangement with Mr. Sinner, what happened is just scandalous. There are double standards, depending on the athletes and the sports."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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