Cycling Independent Reform Commission

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The Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) (en., Dt. About: Independent Cycling Reform Commission) is a commission of inquiry set up by the World Cycling Association Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which had the task of clarifying the background of the doping affairs in cycling . The CIRC report was published by the UCI on March 9, 2015.

Background and mission

The road cycling was especially during the office of the UCI President Hein Verbruggen 1992-2005 and Pat McQuaid increasingly involved in doping scandals 2005 to 2013, in particular concerning the cycling team Festina and Telekom , the physician Fuentes , Floyd Landis , the victory of de Tour France was stripped of doping in 2006 , and - before his retroactive disqualification - seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong . In September 2013, serious corruption allegations were made against Verbruggen and his successor in the office of UCI President McQuaid in a 54-page dossier : Witnesses and documents prove that a team owner had been asked for 250,000 euros, and attempts had been made in return for financial compensation to cover up Alberto Contador's positive doping test in 2010 and to favor Armstrong, who was banned in 2013 for years of doping, several times.

After the criticism of the politics of the UCI top rose, Brian Cookson , who had started with the program to reform the association, was elected as the new UCI President on September 27, 2013. In January 2014, the new UCI leadership commissioned the former Swiss public prosecutor Dick Marty , the CAS judge Ulrich Haas and the criminalist Peter Nicholson as the Cycling Independent Reform Commission to investigate the causes of doping in cycling and the responsibility of the UCI and other sports authorities. The CIRC conducted 174 interviews with UCI staff, cycling teams, national associations, medical professionals, active and former drivers, anti-doping organizations, national law enforcement agencies, sponsors, race organizers and journalists to fulfill the mandate.

Verbruggen / McQuaid era

The CIRC's published report to the UCI contains no evidence of allegations of bribery and active cover-up of doping cases in the era of Presidents Verbruggen and McQuaid. However, the CIRC pointed to numerous violations by the UCI of the anti-doping regulations and of good governance principles during the tenure of McQuaid and his predecessor Verbruggen, in particular in favor of Lance Armstrong.

In particular, the CIRC criticized the UCI's practice of allowing subsequent approvals for the exceptionally permissible use of restricted preparations, Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) , after a positive doping test, such as B. at winning the 1997 World Championships by Laurent Brochard ( lidocaine ) and the de France Tour 1999 by Lance Armstrong ( cortisone ). Furthermore, reference was made to a temporal connection between an exemption for Lance Armstrongs, who should not have started the Tour Down Under 2009 due to insufficient time in the UCI test pool according to the regulations , and his confirmation to start the Tour of Ireland , which was carried out by Pat McQuaid's brother Darach was organized. In addition, Lance Armstrong was informed about the testing procedure for EPO by a pharmacologist on the initiative of the world association on the occasion of two doping tests that were not “positive” but “very suspicious” at the 2001 Tour de Suisse . The UCI had accepted Armstrong's cash payments declared as donations in the amount of 125,000 dollars, although there was no evidence that these payments were in connection with the cover-up of doping tests. The UCI had influenced the report of the Dutch lawyer Emile Vrijman in favor of Armstrong, who was supposed to evaluate the positive follow-up tests for EPO during the 1999 tour and also took Armstrong's side against the World Anti-Doping Agency . Even Alberto Contador had been given preferential treatment when he moved to the positive doping test for clenbuterol in de Tour France 2010 informed personally by three UCI officials in Spain and a positive test by contaminated meat option - the later defense strategy of the disqualified winner - pointed has been. Finally, Verbruggen had inappropriately influenced the choice of his successor.

Present and recommendations

The CIRC report also describes improvements in the UCI's anti-doping policy during McQuaid's tenure through the introduction of the biological passport and the takeover of doping control management by Anne Gripper in 2006. However, the report also refers to the possibility of evasion, which is apparently practiced the indirect detection method through the regular administration of EPO microdoses throughout the year. According to witnesses , the controversial physician Eufemiano Fuentes is still busy with the "care" of professional cyclists.

The fight against doping is far from over. Many of the drivers interviewed are of the opinion that doping is still widespread today. One driver even stated the proportion of doping athletes as 90%. Earlier increases in performance due to EPO doping of 10 to 15% are no longer possible due to the current test procedures; the benefit of EPO doping is 3 to 5% during the period of the investigation.

The CIRC recommended the UCI

  • hiring a criminalist for more targeted doping tests,
  • informing professional bodies and supervisory authorities when medical professionals are involved in doping practices,
  • the investigation of suspected doping cases, even if these have already expired and the punishment of those involved who do not cooperate contrary to the rules,
  • the review of the rule that athletes may not be tested between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.,
  • the introduction of a central "racing pharmacy" for stage races to counteract over- medication in the peloton ,
  • a better selection of the laboratories commissioned,
  • the review of the electoral process of the UCI President, possibly the participation of the drivers,
  • strengthening the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés drivers' union ,
  • the reorganization of the UCI Ethic Committee and
  • an immediate referral to the UCI Management Committee (German: Board of Directors) and a more active participation of all its members.

On March 13, 2015, the UCI announced some changes based on the recommendations of the CIRC, in particular a stricter procedure for the allocation of Therapeutic Use Exemptions .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The UCI publishes Cycling Independent Reform Commission report. uci.ch, March 9, 2015, accessed on March 10, 2015 (English).
  2. ↑ radsport-news.com of September 10, 2013: McQuaid and Verbruggen are accused of corruption
  3. ↑ Summary of "A Report on Corruption in the Leadership of the Union Cycliste Internationale" on velonews.com ( Memento of the original from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 1.6 MB) accessed on September 10, 2013  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / cdn.velonews.competitor.com
  4. ↑ Cookson is the new UCI President. radsport-news.com, September 27, 2013, accessed March 10, 2015 .
  5. ↑ CIRC: "The fight against doping is far from over". radsport-news.com, March 9, 2015, accessed March 10, 2015 .
  6. ↑ a b The violations and misconduct of the UCI. radsport-news.com, March 9, 2015, accessed March 10, 2015 .
  7. ^ CIRC finds no proof of UCI corruption but questions linger over governance. cycling-news.com, March 10, 2015, accessed March 10, 2015 (English).
  8. ↑ a b The CIRC Report. inrng.com, March 9, 2015, accessed March 10, 2015 .
  9. ↑ Frankfurter Rundschau of March 10, 2015, p. 25: Armstrong under species protection
  10. ↑ The UCI announces further anti-doping measures following CIRC report and recommendations. In: www.uci.ch. March 13, 2015, accessed May 26, 2015 .

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