Young Cyclist Destroys Future.

He was signed by Slience Lotto September 27, 2008, a strange move for a team without a history of endemic doping; but Silence was “assured that his 2008 passport results to date were A1” and a two year contract was given. This week Dekker, a young star with a bright future ahead of him was caught, red handed. As the Blood passport is neither open nor proven legally, the UCI have correctly twinned with a positive, conventional urine test. In a laboratory in Cologne, Germany, under the instruction of the UCI, re-examined a urine sample from December 2007, which had initially proven clear, and on June 20 2009 reported finding EPO in the sample.

His last race of the 2007 season was the Tour of Lombardia where he finished in the top 10.  Why was he still using EPO in December? With the introduction of the Blood passport 13 days later after his positive test, Is it possible to surmise that constant micro doping of EPO keeps hematological profile, artificially and constantly stable?  More importantly, how did a young rider of just 23, with limited life experience get hold of and instructed how to efficiently administer EPO?

Dekker is not alone here. He will rightfully be banned from the sport, but his ‘traffickers’ the people who abused this young talent go free, free to abuse other young careers. We must target these people if our sport is to get a fresh start.