An important cooperation for drug testing has been confirmed for major French races this season, with the Cycling Anti Doping Foundation linked to the UCI plus the French agency for the fight against doping (AFLD) agreeing to work together in 2013.
While relations between the UCI and the AFLD have been tense at times in the past, the improved interaction should lead to a strengthening of the measures being taken to further a clean sport.
The UCI announced today that both the CADF and the AFLD will combine their resources and expertise on events such as the Tour de France and the Critérium du Dauphiné.
“We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with the AFLD,” said CADF director Francesca Rossi today. “The CADF's and the AFLD’s anti-doping procedures are among the most innovative and stringent in sport. It was cycling, for example, that was the first sport to introduce the urinary EPO test, the homologous blood transfusion test and the biological passport.”
When the AFLD ran the Tour de France testing in 2008, it snagged a high number of positives, including samples showing traces of the next-generation EPO-tyle product, CERA.
It is hoped that the CADF/AFLD collaboration will be a vigorous one.
“The UCI is determined to ensure that cycling is a clean sport. As such, we are extremely happy to be partnering with the AFLD,” said UCI President Pat McQuaid.
“Together, we will ensure that today’s young riders in the peloton are not tarnished by issues that took place years in the past. Cycling has a bright future and those who will define that future can be found among the current generation of riders who have chosen to prove that you can compete and win clean.”