UCI tipped riders about test results

[gaz]

Former UCI president Hein Verbruggen has admitted that the governing body tipped off riders including Lance Armstrong about suspicious anti-doping test results.
The Dutchman, who remains honorary president of the governing body that he led between 1991 and 2005, made the revelation in a statement issued in response to an article in Dutch magazine Vrij Nederland.
"It used to be the UCI's policy – and indeed also of other federations – to discuss atypical blood test results, or other test results, with the riders concerned," he explained.
"Riders who were doping [but who had yet to fail a test] were effectively warned that they were being watched and that they would be targeted in future with the aim of getting them to stop doping.
"However, if the atypical test results were genuinely not caused by doping, the rider also had the opportunity to have a medical check."
According to Verbruggen, the UCI drew up its policy to tell riders about suspicious tests "after some considerable debate and deliberation.
"Its purpose was to protect clean riders against competitors who might be doping, rather than to let those clean riders continue to be put at a disadvantage until such time that the drug cheats could be caught,” he claimed.
“It was intended to be a two-pronged attack on doping: prevention both by dissuasion and repression."
In the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal, Verbruggen has come under a huge amount of criticism with many believing that the UCI helped protect the rider, including after a suspect test for EPO during the 2001 Tour de Suisse.
According to Dr Martial Saugy, who runs the Swiss anti-doping laboratory that tested the sample concerned, the UCI arranged for Armstrong to visit the facility to see how tests were conducted.
At the same time, Armstrong pledged donations totalling $125,000 to the UCI. While those payments have long been public knowledge and indeed confirmed by current UCI president Pat McQuaid, it had been assumed that the rider decided to offer the money himself.
However, in his interview with Oprah Winfrey last week, Armstrong said that it had been the UCI that had requested the money from him.

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[thom]

It stinks

 

[johnr]

+

It stinks

+1

 

[oldroadman]

Couldn't make it up, could you? HV seems to be trying to find a way to survive, and failing by just getting less and less credible. Maybe if he named some names of riders who had been "advised" - apart from the obvious one- and what they were "advised" of, then more things may come into the light. It's simple, if you were doing nothing wrong, then there is nothing to be worried about. We all are responsible for what is in our body, and if anyone wished to stick hypos in me, or want me to take pills, suppositories, or any other form of medication, I would want to be certain there was nothing in it that was on the list of banned substances. Your future health is more important than going a little faster to please someone.

 

[rich p]

"Riders who were doping [but who had yet to fail a test] were effectively warned that they were being watched and that they would be targeted in future with the aim of getting them to stop doping

I don't get this bit. How did they know (pre bio-passport) that riders were doping?
I'm wondering also if it was under this procedure that Tyler Hamilton was called in and given a warning. He blamed Armstrong for using his influence with the UCI.

 

[johnr]

I imagine the .independent' commission will have a number of questions about all this. And as there are two lawyers on the panel, I hope HV's bluster and bu££sh!t will be thoroughly exposed.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Hmm, but the UCI seems to be trying to undermine the independent commission already...

 

[thom]

Hmm, but the UCI seems to be trying to undermine the independent commission already...

Comedic
Edit: It stinks

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Hmm, but the UCI seems to be trying to undermine the independent commission already...

PMcQ just popped up to give himself a vote of confidence on BBC national news this evening after it was announced that the independent commission had agreed to give the UCI more time to get the truth and reconciliation process under way. UCI official on national TV?!?! Cycling really has started to hit the news.

Have I got this right - the UCI set up an independent commission without the T&R bit, and now it's stalled the independent commission until it can do the T&R bit?

 

[johnr]

Have I got this right - the UCI set up an independent commission without the T&R bit, and now it's stalled the independent commission until it can do the T&R bit?

Yes, that does appear to be the situation. This is from today's Guardian. Worth reading all of it. I'm not sure I've ever seen such a public disagreement. UCI seem to be pi$$ing cycling down the drain.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jan/25/uci-wada-droping-inquiry

 

[dellzeqq]

Yes, that does appear to be the situation. This is from today's Guardian. Worth reading all of it. I'm not sure I've ever seen such a public disagreement. UCI seem to be pi$$ing cycling down the drain.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jan/25/uci-wada-droping-inquiry

holy crap! Is there nothing that McQuaid won't stoop to?

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The Independent Commission is no more. Seems like a full Truth and Reconciliation process backed by WADA might take its place but watch this space...

 

[raindog]

McQuaid has nine lives. Or at least, he did have. How many has he got left?
Worra farce.
Just resign Pat - it's so simple.

 

[ufkacbln]

Parts of this are reasonable though

"However, if the atypical test results were genuinely not caused by doping, the rider also had the opportunity to have a medical check."

This would / should be part of any testing regime, we often come across incidental findings on clinical tests

There is some debate about the ethics of how and when to pass these results on.

However any medical testing has to have the ability to pass abnormal results on to a patient where this could be of benefit to the patient's health.

EPO is a classic case...

High EPO can be diagnostic of some renal tumours, or Polycthaemia as well as malpractice.

 

[rich p]

The T&R, if it ever comes about, will rely on riders, soigneurs, DS's, doctors, UCI officials et al volunteering the truth. Unless there's a very good reason for them to do so, I can't see that happening to any great extent or am I missing the point?