ProTour ethical code judged in Spain

[Rolfrae]

From today's cyclingnews:

ProTour ethical code judged in Spain

By Antonio J. Salmerón

"The Professional Cyclists Association has complained in front of the Spanish National High Court about the legality of the Ethical Code imposed by the ProTour teams. Now, the Chamber for Social and Labour Matters of the Court has decided to postpone the hearing initially scheduled for last Thursday, January 11. The Court wants to study the matter in depth, and has granted a extension of two weeks to the public prosecutor and to all the parties interested on the subject in order to prove why the High Court is competent to judge the affair.

The cyclists' complaint is based on the allegation that the Ethical Code established by the ProTour teams imposes more severe penalties than are legally admitted by the regulation of the UCI. Under this set of rules, the CPA argues, the working rights of cyclists subject to an investigation are infringed, without their guilt being proved. " ENDS


The ProTour included harsher penalties in the sport's top tier as a way of saying, if you want to ride in the premier league then you better do it clean. Now the riders themselves are challenging the system. Yes, yes, all us pro cyclists want a clean sport, as long as we can continue doping!

 

[matagi]

Ah but what if you are in fact clean but somehow your name gets associated with a doping investigation even though you are completely innocent? What happens then? Under this "code of ethics" you get punished even though nothing has yet been proven - hardly seems fair and just to me.

I have no problem with sanctions against riders who have been PROVEN to have doped and have been well and truly caught, but to punish someone on the basis of rumour, innuendo and plain unproven allegations (which is all we have at the present in OP until the Guardia Civil actually decides to release the evidence it has collected) tramples all over individual rights and certainly does cycling no good at all.

 

[Rolfrae]

Ah but what if you are in fact clean but somehow your name gets associated with a doping investigation even though you are completely innocent? What happens then? Under this "code of ethics" you get punished even though nothing has yet been proven - hardly seems fair and just to me.

I have no problem with sanctions against riders who have been PROVEN to have doped and have been well and truly caught, but to punish someone on the basis of rumour, innuendo and plain unproven allegations (which is all we have at the present in OP until the Guardia Civil actually decides to release the evidence it has collected) tramples all over individual rights and certainly does cycling no good at all.

The problem with Puerto has been that the Spanish authorities have leaked enough eveidence to create a scandal but not done a proper job to make this anything stand up in court. So now we thave he riders complaining to these same Spanish authorities. I agree with you, that people shouldn't be banned on the basis of newspaper reports but that means that the Spnish authorities should pull their fingers out. I think it will be wrong if Ullrich is banned (if the German authorities ever manage to match his DNA) and others such as Basso keep riding - but the way to make it right isn't to let him ride, it's to get the DNA of the other riders and ban all of those that match. Pro Tour code of ethics aside, the Tour de France banned Pantani from the Tour for a failed HCT test in 1999 and the riders stood back and said nothing. They all think the same way, the laws are great, as long as I don't get caught, then they must be chnaged.