Bio-Passport Cases Must Have A Solid Legal Basis Says UCI
AIGLE, Switzerland, Nov 12, 2008 (AFP) - The International Cycling Union
(UCI) said Wednesday it believed that cycling stood on the verge of a revolution in the sport’s war on doping after incorporating the biological passport into its anti-doping rules.
The passports now being rolled out will allow the establishment of racer profiles to check cyclists’ blood-levels and urine samples in the new season - some 800 such profiles have already been drawn up.
Anne Griper, head of the UCI’s anti-doping commission, warned it was important to ensure that any case had a solid legal foundation.
“We knew right from the beginning we have to be really careful because of any of these samples could end up before a tribunal.
“So we have to take extra care to make sure, always knowing that our ultimate aim was to end up in a legal case, if there was not enough evidence the rider had been manipulating their blood.
“For us, it is important that the first cases are very solid. And even I know it is maybe frustrating because it is taking so long, for us it is going to be wait and be very careful, and have first cases stand up to scientific and legal scrutiny rather than rushing in and having cases that are not appealed,” Griper said.
Griper added the aim was “to have enough evidence to go forward with an antidoping rule violation, with a sanction of two years - but we really need strong evidence to do that.”
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