German federation to create blood profiles

The German cycling federation (BDR) is getting serious in the fight against doping. On Thursday, the Bud Deutscher Radfahrer announced a package of new measures, featuring more intensive and better training controls. "This control system is plain and strong. Anyone who doesn't abide by these rules won't represent Germany in any international championship, they don't belong on the German team," BDR president Rudolf Scharping told the SID press agency.

Starting with the 2007 season, the BDR will implement a program under which an individual blood profile will be established for each of the approximately 260 athletes, including licensed professional cyclists.

Highlights of the program:

• Doping controls will be extended to include under-15 racers.
• Training controls, especially unannounced ones, will be increased up to 50 percent.
• The quality of the doping controls will be increased, through the use of simultaneous blood and urine tests.
• Blood profiles will be established over a longer time period, to be watched over by independent doctors. The riders will be obligated to provide the blood profile to a new team, if they change teams.
• The fight against doping will be financed by the German teams, sponsors and race organisers.
• The federation will seek an anti-doping law, which would forbid and make punishable the possession and sale of doping products.
• Cyclists who must be tested after any race on German soil will be accompanied by a BDR representative from the finish line to the doping control room, as happens at the Olympic Games.
• Team doctors are to introduce blood volume controls, in order to check for autologous blood doping.
• The BDR will continue its campaign against doping, and will be very attentive as to finding new ways of prevention.