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The UCI has told Cyclingnews that Nikita Kamaev, the executive director of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), has suspended his involvement with the UCI Anti-Doping Commission after questions arose from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigation into a wide-ranging doping scandal in Russian athletics.
The WADA Independent Commission's 300-page report uncovered a massive doping scheme in Russian athletics, one that included athletes being warned ahead of out-of-competition testing, being tested before leaving the country to ensure they would not test positive for the performance enhancing drugs allegedly provided to them by coaches. Athletes were reportedly forced or agreed to pay significant sums to cover up positive tests and were allowed to continue competing despite having tested positive.
In the fallout, Russian athletics was suspended by the International Athletics federation (IAAF), the Moscow laboratory was decertified by WADA, and the RUSADA was declared non-compliant with the WADA code last week. RUSADA is in the midst of being revamped by the Russian Olympic Committee.
Kamaev was appointed to the UCI's Anti-Doping Commission in 2013 but is now suspended from that role.
"Following the publication of the Independent Commission report and the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) decision to suspend the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), it was agreed that Mr Nikita Kamaev would suspend his involvement with the UCI Anti-Doping Commission until further notice. The UCI won’t make any further comment at this stage," a UCI spokesman wrote to Cyclingnews.
There has been a call from the WADA athlete commission to extend the investigation into the rest of Russian sport, and the IC report suggests that the doping schemes extended beyond athletics and across borders. But UCI president Brian Cookson expressed his confidence in the Russian Cycling Federation last week.
The Russian Cycling Federation is headed by Igor Makarov, who also sits on the UCI's Management Committee and who played a key role in Cookson's election as president in 2013.
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Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
