All 23 of Slipstream/Chipotle's athletes are voluntarily participating in the program which will test the athletes over 1200 times during 2007. This is more than 20 times the number of tests that most professional cyclists are subject to annually through its governing body, Union Cycliste International.
The testing program will be comprised of both blood and urine sampling and will focus on "bio-markers" as opposed to traditional, direct element testing. This type of testing looks for potentially illegal performance enhancing metabolic variances in the riders' test results, as opposed trying to find specific substances. By adopting this innovative testing regimen, Slipstream Sports’ intention is to simply prevent any rider who could be doping from competing.
The goal of this intense testing and scrutiny of Slipstream/Chipotle's athletes is threefold:
1. To protect each rider's health
2. To ensure that no matter what pressures exist, the implicit and explicit message given to the riders from staff and sponsors is always consistent: “DO NOT DOPE”
3. To protect the core integrity and mission of Slipstream Sports LLC and to protect the image of current and future partners.
Vaughters states, “I would like to make it clear that this program is in addition to the testing WADA already performs, not in place of it.
GOOD LUCK VAUGHTERS, GOOD LUCK SLIPSTREAM
