Drug Testing for the Olympics vs. TdF?

[Garyg]

Given the recent book about Lance's alleged doping, and his decision to not
participate in the Olympics, I was wondering:

Are the drug testing protocols for the Olympics any
different than they are for the TdF?

I seem to recall reading that the TdF protocols do not yet
conform to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards,
but I'm not sure if this is correct, or the implications of
it if it is.

GG

 

[Carl Sundquist]

"GaryG" <garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Given the recent book about Lance's alleged doping, and
> his decision to
not
> participate in the Olympics, I was wondering:
>
> Are the drug testing protocols for the Olympics any
> different than they
are
> for the TdF?
>
> I seem to recall reading that the TdF protocols do not yet
> conform to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards,
> but I'm not sure if this is correct, or the implications
> of it if it is.
>

AFAIK, the test is a standard one, i.e. all sports and
governing bodies are screening for the same things. I
believe the conflict between the UCI, IOC, and WADA
regarded other aspects of drug testing protocol than the
actual lab testing.

 

[Sam]

"GaryG" <garyg@shasta_SPAMBEGONE_software.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Given the recent book about Lance's alleged doping, and
> his decision to
not
> participate in the Olympics, I was wondering:
>
> Are the drug testing protocols for the Olympics any
> different than they
are
> for the TdF?
>
> I seem to recall reading that the TdF protocols do not yet
> conform to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards,
> but I'm not sure if this is correct, or the implications
> of it if it is.
>
> GG
>
WADA oversees testing at the Games.

 

[Kris Tilford]

> AFAIK, the test is a standard one, i.e. all sports and
> governing bodies are screening for the same things. I
> believe the conflict between the UCI, IOC, and WADA
> regarded other aspects of drug testing protocol than the
> actual lab testing.

No, this is not correct. The WADA standard is for a blood
test, while the UCI has been urine, with blood taken for
hematocrit testing only. Also, the list & penalties are
different, with the WADA penalties being much more stringent
than UCI for first offenses of higher level drugs.

I find it bothersome that the very first time in his entire
career that Lance would be subject to a WADA test he decides
not to ride. You have to admit, the UCI has a gigantic
conflictive interest in doing it's own drug testing (as have
all sports governing bodies - witnessed by the recent Jerome
Young affair whereby USAT&F hid positive doping results and
he later won an Olympic Gold relay medal that is now in
dispute). These sports governing bodies get their money from
the same sponsors that the riders do, and if drug scandels
are resulting in drastically lower revenues, at some point
ethics get tossed out the window. Lance literally saved the
TdF from the the back-to-back PDM & Festina (add Cofidis &
Kelme now) scandals that were literally the entire focus of
the 1999 TdF until Lance's cancer survivor story
overshadowed the doping. If Lance had been positive, I
wonder if it would have been reported (remember what
microscopic press Indurain's positive result after his 3rd
TdF victory got?) The UCI knows not to kill a golden goose.
Hopefully WADA doesn't have these conflicts over funding and
can get some semblance of regulation back into all sports.