- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The shock sacking of Matt White only hours after he celebrated Cameron Meyer’s Tour Down Under win has massive ramifications for Australian cycling.
The Colorado-based Garmin-Cervelo team rocked the sport on Sunday night when they issued a media release, saying they had axed manager White because he allegedly referred Australian rider Trent Lowe, two years ago, to a controversial Spanish doctor for a fitness test.
Garmin-Cervelo named the doctor as Luis Garcia del Moral, who worked at the US Postal team last decade when Lance Armstrong and White were there.
“Slipstream Sports (which owns Garmin-Cervelo) has an explicit internal policy that all medical referrals are approved by our medical staff. In this instance, this vital rule was broken,” the team said in a statement.
“As a result, the board of directors has dismissed Matt White.”
Last August, Dr Moral defended Armstrong against explosive doping allegations made by another former US Postal rider, disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis.
Armstrong is understood to be the target of an American government investigation and has repeatedly denied taking banned substances.
Garmin-Cervelo general manager Jonathan Vaughters told the cyclingnews website that the team had no choice but to sack White.
“This was a hard thing to do, a very hard thing to do but was the only thing to do,” Vaughters said.
“Hard decisions need to be made and procedures and policies have to be adhered to.
“We don’t have a choice if we want the sport to go forward.”
White, 36, is a highly-respected and popular figure in Australian cycling.
A week ago, Cycling Australia announced they had appointed White as their professional men’s road co-ordinator, a part-time position.
It is a crucial liaison position, helping foster links between CA and the continually-growing number of Australians competing overseas.
The role is particularly vital for events such as world championships, the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, where riders compete for Australia, rather than their professional employers.
Garmin-Cervelo are alleging that White referred Lowe, an Australian rider no longer in their team, two years ago to Dr del Moral at the Sports Institute of Valencia.
“We want to make it clear that we are parting ways for one reason and one reason only: because this vital team rule was broken,” Garmin-Cervelo said in their statement.
White was in charge of the Garmin-Cervelo squad that rode superbly at this week’s Tour Down Under as Meyer won the race for the first time.
Garmin-Cervelo were also outstanding earlier this month in the men’s road race at the national titles, which team member Jack Bobridge won.
Immediately after Meyer secured the Tour title by just two seconds, White gave no hint of the drama to come later on Sunday evening.
“I’m very proud … it came off,” he said of the Tour win.
“We haven’t lost anything (this month), it’s pretty good.”
White has also been rumoured as a potential recruit for the new GreenEDGE Australian professional cycling team, which was launched last Monday.
A day before the launch, Vaughters had threatened legal action if GreenEDGE went outside transfer rules to recruit any of his riders.
Garmin-Cervelo has a strong Australian contingent, including Meyer and his younger brother Travis, White, Bobridge, Brett Lancaster and Matt Wilson – all of whom were in the Tour Down Under team.
It is understood several members of the team left the race hotel on Sunday night and were visibly shaken.
White and Cycling Australia were unavailable for comment.
AAP rhv/gjw
Fancy a wager on your favourite sport? Head on over to PlayUp for great odds and friendly customer service and pick a winner. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.