Belgian cycling federation planning new anti-doping initiative

The Belgian Cycling Federation (RVLB) announced this week that it intends to launch a new action plan to fight doping at all levels in the sport.

The national federation plans to work together with the regional organisations in Flanders and Wallonia (Wielerbond Vlaanderen and Fédération Cycliste Wallonie Bruxelles, or WBV/FCWB) to educate teams, clubs, parents, coaches, riders and race organisers and to get them to commit to a doping-free sport.

"Various preventive but also forceful measures will be developed, which depending on the powers by the federations will be activated," a statement said. "The project will therefore be submitted to the boards of directors of both RLVB as WBV and FCWB, then the actions will be explained."

The move follows a similar action by the Dutch cycling federation, which launched an independent investigation into the effectiveness of its anti-doping measures, and seeks to make improvements.