September 18/07 12:23 pm - UCI Announces Stiff Anti-Doping Program for Road Worlds

Posted by Editoress on 09/18/07
 

UCI Road World Championships in Stuttgart
Courtesy UCI

The International Cycling Union has developed a much reinforced anti-doping programme for the Road World Championships which will take place in Stuttgart from 26 to 30 September.

Including measures before and during competitions, the UCI programme will not only make it possible to detect instances of doping but should also dissuade riders from cheating.

Over the eight weeks preceding the event (preparation period for riders), the UCI will have taken the following actions:
• at least 120 unannounced out-of-competition tests (compared to 27 last year) among riders likely to take part in the World Championships;
• around 400 tests during competitions among the same riders;
• a formal request to the Presidents of National Federations to organise out-of-competition testing outside competition among riders selected for their national team.

During the World Championships, the UCI will carry out the following actions:
• an increase of 25 % in the number of anti-doping controls compared to previous World Championships;
• anti-doping tests among the first 4 riders and 4 additional riders (compared to 2 last year), selected on a random or targeted basis at the end of each event;
• at least 30 blood anti-doping controls during the event, which is a new measure;
• storage of blood samples to be in a position to detect whether growth hormones have been taken when the test becomes available (probably at the end of the year); this too is a new measure;
• around one hundred early morning blood screens (compared to 80 last year). The samples collected will make it possible to prohibit some riders from starting and will be used to improve the targeting of anti-doping controls.