Protect the Honest Riders

It has been on the rulebooks for years, yet ignoring its presence has been to the detriment of our sport, perhaps as a reaction to the spate of recent positive returns. Perhaps as a response to the anti-doping community demanding stiffer penalties to both deter riders from doping, or to punish more adequately those who cheat.

Yesterday, Mr Pat McQuaid (UCI President) told VeloNation. “I was asked an opinion in an interview today about the sanctions and I said that I would like to see four-year sanctions coming in. I have asked the anti-doping department that when they review positive doping cases and prepare the dossier to go to the national federation for following up on, that the UCI will recommend to the national federation that a four year ban be given.”

Stiffer penalties for offenders has been something that we have been working hard towards. Regardless of the influence, something needs to happen and stiffer sanctions are progress in the fight against doping.

This would be a major step forward for anti-doping. The ‘coming in’ that Pat McQuaid refers to is the enforcement of a rule that has been an option since first spoken about on the 15 of Oct 2008. It was introduced to deal with ‘serious’ breaches of the WADA code. There have been many incidents putting our sport to shame and never yet has it been deemed serious enough to be applied in full.

The sport requires credibility, but it also needs justice. Each rider should be treated equally, in an environment where it is open and just, that a rider can race clean and on merit. As the governing body of our sport, the UCI has a duty of care to provide this environment. The two year ban sees our sport laughed at by riders who care little for their sport and have no respect by their numerous colleagues, who race honestly. They see riders returning to the sport in months, rather than years. On the 17 Sept 2007, Pat Mc Quaid also said he would be in favour of lifetime bans to clean up our sport. So the anti doping community will be pushing to see that this latest push for a more just ban system are not just words, but sincere action.

The importance of the four year ban also notes that it will be given to more ‘serious’ breaches of the anti doping code, from wilful blood doping etc, whereas accidental ingestion, youthful acts and team pressure induced doping may be treated, rightly as a less serious act.

It is a step in the right direction and we welcome it. For every single cyclist who demands their sport be cleaned up, your voice is being heard.