Press release - The UCI presents the main themes of its anti-doping programme for 2011

The programme provides for a significant increase in the number of controls conducted on riders whose profiles may indicate illegal behaviour. It must be these riders who are the priority targets rather than riders with completely regular profiles who make up the majority of the peloton. This improved targeting has been made possible by the biological passport. The very large number of controls conducted since the introduction of the biological passport (nearly 25,500) has allowed reliable profiles to be drawn up for the riders concerned. In terms of physiological data, the UCI thus now has a knowledge of these athletes that is without par in the world of sport. Moreover, top-performing athletes as well as newcomers to the peloton will be subject to improved targeting. At the same time, the UCI has decided to invest in an ambitious prevention campaign. The UCI thus intends, in collaboration with National Federations and other relevant organisations, to attack this evil at its root: sanctioning cheats is necessary, but it is even more essential to prevent young riders from resorting to illegal practices. The UCI will provide a substantial amount of information on this subject during 2011. The UCI, with a view to remaining a leader in the field of anti-doping, invests a significant proportion of its resources every year in improving its anti-doping programme. The UCI was the first Federation to introduce blood tests (1997), establish a method of detecting EPO (2001) and implement the biological passport (2007). It is against this background that the UCI’s anti-doping programme for 2011 represents a further step forward.