Pro cyclists’ union calls for independent doping control

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés in Milan, members of national professional associations gathered with their president Gianni Bugno, an outstanding cyclist in the late 1980s and early 1990s, to discuss several issues confronting pro riders. The most pressing issue on the agenda was the fallout of the Lance Armstrong affair. The CPA concluded that an independent doping control is needed and that it should contain one expert selected by the professionals’ union.

The CPA contends that the Armstrong affair not only extended a image problem for the sport, but also revealed a “loss of credibility and authority of the institutions established to guide this sport.” The United States Anti-Doping Agency’s “reasoned decision” report made some question the UCI’s ability and legitimacy in handling doping matters. It seems that cycling’s governing body “can longer guarantee application of sporting justice.”

The CPA’s press release goes on to say that Bugno will be requesting a meeting with UCI president Pat McQuaid in the next few days to discuss the matter. The organization “strongly believes that the fight against doping has to continue but that the first step in this direction is the guarantee of a fair fight for everyone.”