Originally Posted by CyclingNews

Boonen positive for cocaine – again
Tom Boonen positive for cocaine – a second time

Tom Boonen of team Quick Step has again tested positive for cocaine as a result of a doping control on April 27, during a racing break in Belgium following the Spring Classics, according to HLN.be. The 2005 World Champion could face criminal charges for violating the conditions of his suspended sentence for cocaine use.

Boonen, winner of Paris-Roubaix in April, first tested positive for cocaine a year ago.

The Vlaamse Gemeenschap ("Flemish Community") received news of Boonen's second positive control on Tuesday. Since it was an out-of-competition test, it cannot take action – cocaine usage is subject to sporting sanctions only during competition. The results are now in the hands of the Turnhout court, which had acted on Boonen's earlier cocaine case.

Police searched Boonen's house on Friday morning in relation to the news. He cooperated in the search and was questioned.

Following Boonen's positive test last year, he was excluded from the Tour de France. Team Quick Step declared that it forego additional punishment as it was a "personal issue".

Boonen did not confess to the cocaine use but apologised for the "negative" news. He later claimed that someone must have spiked his drink at an outdoor cafe.

On February 3, the court in Turnhout ruled that although Boonen had used cocaine, he would not face any punishment. It found that his exclusion from the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France was punishment enough.

It issued a ruling ordering him to pay court costs and to refrain from using such drugs in the future. His new positive test is thus apparently a violation of that order, leaving him potentially open to criminal sanctions.

Neither Boonen nor Quick Step could be reached for comment. (SW)

Originally Posted by pacificaslim (Post 8885134)

Like Rick James said when asked if he really did all the crazy things in Charlie Murphy's stories about him, "Cocaine is a hell of a drug!"

Originally Posted by Lithuania (Post 8885152)

Boonen is either a complete idiot or needs some serious help

Originally Posted by FreddyBoy (Post 8885281)

Maybe I am wrong, but for me failing an out-of-competition drug test from cocaine (for an athlete) doesn't have the same impact of "failing" a drug test the way EPO, Testosterone, Steroids, or HGH would.

Originally Posted by Lithuania (Post 8885298)

well something like this is potentially worse since he could end up in prison

Originally Posted by dmb2786 (Post 8885271)

i really want to be a fan. twice? really!? c'mon

Originally Posted by king-tony (Post 8885778)

There are better ways to get out of racing the Tour.