UCI announces anti-doping programme for 2011

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The International Cycling Union's (UCI) anti-doping programme  will focus on those riders whose biological passports show questionable values, in 2011. The UCI will also conduct an “ambitious prevention campaign,” it said in a press release issued Friday afternoon.

The Foundation Board and Funding Committee of the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), chaired by Pat McQuaid and Daniel Baal respectively, met Thursday in Paris, and approved the UCI's 2011 anti-doping agenda.

"2011 will see a significant increase in the number of controls conducted on riders whose profiles may indicate illegal behaviour.” The UCI will concentrate on these riders, “rather than riders with completely regular profiles who make up the majority of the peloton.”

The questionable riders will be targeted under the biological passport programme. “The very large number of controls conducted since the introduction of the biological passport (nearly 25,500) has allowed reliable profiles to be drawn up for the riders concerned.”

The UCI also noted that the improved targeting will include, “top-performing athletes as well as newcomers to the peloton.”

In addition, the UCI will increasingly emphasise its prevention campaign.”The UCI thus intends, in collaboration with National Federations and other relevant organisations, to attack this evil at its root: sanctioning cheats is necessary, but it is even more essential to prevent young riders from resorting to illegal practices.”