Riis asks for unity in cycling

CSC Team Manager and former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis called on Tuesday for those involved in cycling to unite to overcome existing problems. He was responding to ongoing doping scandals and differences between the UCI and the ASO, the organizers of the Grand Tours. Last year, Team CSC topped the ProTour team rankings, even after Ivan Basso's alleged involvement in Operación Puerto.

"From the outside looking in, it looks as though all cycling has is problems," said Riis according to the AFP. "We have to stand together -- teams, riders, the UCI and the race organisers."

Riis said the ProTour was good, but might still need some changes. For Team CSC, he has announced strict anti-doping measures, but he acknowledged that DNA profiling is not the sole solution. "For me, DNA is not the most important thing. It is more important for each team to spend time examining their own structures and riders to fight doping."