CPA considering legal action against Pound

The Association of professional riders CPA has released a statement saying that it is considering legal action against the president of World Anti-Doping Agency Richard Pound, who commented on the use of doping products in cycling in UK's Guardian on October 26 last year. In a debate offering platforms for two opposing viewpoints, the paper asked "Does cycling take its drug problem seriously enough?" and Pound argued that the professional sport was in denial of the scope in which performance-enhancing drugs were used, and therefore unable to solve the problem.

"This drug use is not the accidental ingestion of a tainted supplement by an individual athlete," Pound said. "It is planned and deliberate cheating, with complex methods, sophisticated substances and techniques, and the active complicity of doctors, scientists, team officials and riders. There is nothing accidental about it. All this cheating goes on under the supposedly watchful eyes of cycling officials, who loudly proclaim that their sport is drug-free and committed to remaining so. Based on performance, they should not be allowed outdoors without white canes and seeing-eye dogs."

The CPA wrote a letter to Pound asking him to take back his possibly defamatory comments, but as the WADA president refused to do so, the rider's association has announced it was considering "taking the necessary steps, as planned."