James Christie

The Canadian Cycling Association heard that André Aubut was verbally abusive to athletes, that he drove them extremely hard and even threw a radio at one of them, but it was powerless to break Aubut's hold over a young cycling star named Geneviève Jeanson, a CCA official said in an interview.

"He didn't fall under our rules," said Sean O'Donnell, the manager of high performance for the Canadian biking organization. "He wasn't one of our national coaches, and I don't believe he has any kind of certification."

But he was Jeanson's choice as a personal coach, and neither she nor her parents ever complained about his methods, O'Donnell said.

Tonight, the Radio-Canada show Enquete will air the second part of its investigation into the controversies surrounding Jeanson and her personal coach, Aubut.

In the first segment, Jeanson admitted she had used blood-boosting erythropoietin through most of her career. The two-time world junior champion said strong-willed Aubut had impressed on her that it was "the only way" the diminutive rider could reach the top.

Aubut has declined interviews since the show aired, but reportedly told producers of the show his cyclist's drug use was a joint decision, then that Jeanson made the choice herself, then that he believed her high red blood cell count was the result of sleeping in a tent that simulated high altitude.

The second program focuses on Aubut.

In the week since the first program, Internet message boards have been abuzz with stories of how Aubut controlled athletes. He's described as intimidating. Most frequently cited is a situation after a race in which Aubut allegedly yelled at Jeanson because he didn't like her performance, then threw a radio at her.

Emilie Roy, who rode briefly with Jeanson on the Rona team, recounted last Monday an Aubut tirade on the Radio-Canada show Desautels.

"He grabbed my arm and just his look, the aggression of his words, it was really terrorizing for me," she said.

"He never struck anyone," she said. "Only, to grab [someone's] arm so hard, to shake like that, I found it a little too much. He had no business doing that, grabbing me by the arm, to lean me up against a wall. It's unacceptable."

The CCA has authority over athletes and coaches in its program, but personal coaching is an individual matter, O'Donnell said. The CCA had no avenue to intercede between Aubut and Jeanson.

"It's disconcerting, but André had her support and the support of her parents," O'Donnell said. "Despite what we were hearing, there were no formal complaints. No one ever said they'd grown tired of his behaviour.

"At that point, if you have an athlete who agrees with how she's being treated and parents who are supportive, how much influence can we have ?"

page mise en ligne par SVP

Consultez notre ENCYCLOPÉDIE sportive