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Cycling Chief Confident Tour Will Be Cleanest Ever
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Published: July 4, 2008
AIGLE, Switzerland - AIGLE, Switzerland - The head of cycling's world governing body believes it will take more than one scandal-free Tour de France to convince the public that cycling has beaten its doping problems.
"This year's Tour probably will go down as one of the cleanest on record," International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid told The Associated Press in the lead-up to Saturday's start of the three-week race. "But I don't think one clean Tour de France is going to change the image and the perception of cycling in a lot of people's minds. It's going to take some time but it's certainly a big step on the way."
McQuaid praised tour owner Amaury Sports Organization for taking a tough line on whom it has allowed to enter after doping scandals dominated the past two Tours.
The Astana team was excluded as punishment for past problems, despite being under new management and signing 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador last winter. Belgian sprint specialist Tom Boonen has also been banished after testing positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition control.
"There is a genuine effort being made by everyone involved that it will be a clean Tour," McQuaid said. "They ASO are terrific organizers, the best in the world, make no mistake about it. They have been doing it for a long time."
The UCI has steered the $8.2 million project in which more than 850 riders have given a series of blood and urine samples while in training and during races to set the parameters for an individual biological profile.
Laboratory teams can then identify doping offenses from abnormal test results rather than seeking and identifying each prohibited substance.
"It has given the message to these guys that it's over," McQuaid said. "There is no point in trying to start fiddling with blood nowadays because you'll be caught."
McQuaid said the UCI has acted quietly and effectively on suspicious results without naming offenders in public during the trial stages.
"We've seen information on a couple of riders and we've discussed with the rider and the team the information we've seen.
"The UCI is 100 percent committed to cleaning the sport and having doping-free cycling."
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