UCI to introduce longer doping bans
Eurosport - Wed, 15 Oct 11:14:00 2008
Riders will face four-year doping bans from 2009 for "wilful cheating", according to International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid.
The current maximum sanction is two years but McQuaid said that the period would be doubled from next year.
"I have said before that I would like to see them (drug cheats) out of the sport for good," McQuaid told cyclingnews.com.
"That is purely on a personal level. However, we are obliged to follow the world anti-doping code, and that is what the UCI will do."
McQuaid said the current world anti-doping code stipulated a maximum two-year sanction in the case of a positive test.
"From the first of January there is a bit more flexibility in it, and we can go up to a four-year ban in the cases of something regarded as wilful cheating."
McQuaid said riders Bernhard Kohl and Stefan Schumacher, who failed tests for a new form of the blood-boosting drug EPO on this year's Tour de France, would fall under that category.
"In these cases, considering that these guys were given the product and then went and took it for the Tour de France, it would be very much classified as wilful cheating," he added.
"Next year a rider in that position would face a four-year ban."
Austrian Kohl, who finished as best climber and third overall on the Tour, and his German Gerolsteiner team-mate Schumacher, the winner of the race's two time trials, both tested positive for CERA, another banned substance.
Those positive tests, along with that of Italy's Leonardo Piepoli this month, came after the French Anti-Doping Agency retroactively tested blood samples for the new type of EPO.
AFLD President Pierre Bordry said that the retesting process had been completed and no new positive tests were to be expected.
This site is Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! and Eurosport. All rights reserved.
- Terms of Service
- Updated Privacy Policy
- Copyright/IP Policy
- Remarks and Suggestions
- Corporate info
- Jobs at Eurosport
Notice: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy.
Comment 1 - 7 of 7
this is gd 2 b able 2 give 4 years however i think lifetime bans shud b given but onli if there is absolute proof, for example landis.... if he had been acused of murder he wud b a free man but he was guilty until proven innocent which i think is wrong, there was good eviednce for both sides but nothing clinical and i think then lifetime bans shud not b given as it wud b unfair if the person was innocent
What happend in Canada in 1988 when Ben Johnson was banned for life for cheating in the Olympics? We had a clean Track and Field team, mind you, we don't win much...but if that the price....
What is WADA and cycling going to do when there are still positives after a lifetime ban has been impleminted?
bans should be on a case by case basis UPTO ten years for taking drugs and life for supplying
Life bans and stopped from becoming part-owners of teams, such as the acceptable face of drug cheating David Millar. The sooner they are forced out of all aspects of the the sport the better it will be cycling and sport in general.
Eurosport may want to think about the merits of having these folk as presenters and guests too. I’ve never heard an one of these drug cheats start a sentence with ‘when I was taking drugs…’
Well a 4 year ban would end most cyclists career. A good move by the UCI
Go for all the marbels, LIFE BAN for all the cheats!!!
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account