Doping remains an endemic problem, UCI president Brian Cookson admitted after the publication of a damning independent report accusing cycling’s world body of turning a blind eye to drug cheat Lance Armstrong.
– #360reviews: Pure Fix Bravo bike
– #Quiz360: WIN dinner for two at Media Rotana
The Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) was set up by Cookson in January last year to investigate the body’s dealings with doping findings and allegations during the late 1990s and early 2000s, including its handling of claims against Armstrong, who was found guilty of systematic doping throughout the first part of his career and subsequently stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
Former UCI presidents Hein Verbruggen and Pat McQuaid were accused of failing to follow their own anti-doping regulations and not holding Armstrong to the same rules that other riders were expected to follow.
“The UCI leadership did not know how to differentiate between Armstrong the hero, seven-time winner of the Tour, cancer survivor, huge financial and media success and a role model for thousands of fans, from Lance Armstrong the cyclist, a member of the peloton with the same rights and obligations as any other professional cyclist,” the 227-page report said.
“Numerous examples have been identified showing that UCI leadership ‘defended’ or ‘protected’ Lance Armstrong and took decisions because they were favourable to him.”
Armstrong released a statement shortly after the report was published in which he apologised for his actions.
“I am grateful to CIRC for seeking the truth and allowing me to assist in that search,” he said. “I am deeply sorry for many things I have done.”
The commission also highlighted lapses in cycling’s general antidrug regime including drug testers sometimes leaking information about who would be the target of tests.
One expert told the commission that up to 90 percent of the race peloton was still doping. Others gave lower estimates.
“I don’t really believe 90 per cent of the peloton are still doping for instance as a witness says but I do believe there’s still an endemic problem of lower level doping,” said Cookson.
“I believe efforts have been made to tackle those problems, there have been major step forwards like the biological passport.
“It’s now possible to compete in professionnal cycling without doping. Nevertheless there’s still a problem there, clearly in any sport there are people trying to cheat and we need to stop them and to protect riders who want to compete without cheating, we have a lot more to do and we will continue.
“The UCI management has changed, we no longer close our eyes to doping.”
