Missed Drug Test for Cavendish

Cavendish admits to missed drug test in 2011

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-admits-to-missed-drug-test-in-2011)

Mark Cavendish has moved quickly to diffuse any suspicion around him, after Italian newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport published an article in its print edition this morning claiming that he had missed at least one out of competition drug test during the 2011 season.

As reported by Cyclingnews this morning, the paper claimed that several sources were privy to this information, despite UCI President Pat McQuaid stating that he knew nothing about it.

Cavendish, who won the Road World Championships and the Tour De France green jersey in 2011, released a statement admitting that he was indeed at fault and spoke of his regret at missing the test last spring. He has the full support of Team GB and Team Sky supremo David Brailsford, who said that Cavendish's integrity wasn't in doubt.

"I missed an out of competition test last April," Cavendish, who was awarded the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award last month, said. "It was my mistake. I was with a film crew for the BBC and Giro d'Italia on Mount Etna. It was a simple, genuine administrative error. Of course I totally understand the importance of testing in sport. I was tested by the UCI a couple of weeks before that and twice in the fortnight after, and had around 60 tests in all last year. It's part of the job and it's my job to make sure I don't miss another."

"There is absolutely no doubt about Mark's integrity," Brailsford said. "I am totally satisfied that he made a genuine mistake. He is tested regularly and is a powerful advocate for testing and ensuring that sport is clean."

Cavendish, who has voiced strong anti-doping opinions in the past, will face no action over the missed test, with UCI doping guidelines saying that no rider should miss three dope tests within an 18-month period. It is his first offence.

CAS overrules the IOC

To me, the dopers who have already served their ban but ruled out of the Olympics seems like double punishment to me. I think this overrulling is actually good.

Sanctioned dopers can participate in Olympics, CAS rules

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sanctioned-dopers-can-participate-in-olympics-cas-rules)

Athletes who have served a suspension for doping will be allowed to participate in the Olympic games.  The Court of Arbitration for Sport today ruled that an International Olympic Committee regulation banning such athletes was “invalid and unenforceable.” 

The ruling could mean that David Millar would be eligible to qualify for the British Olympic team for the 2012 London Olympics, for example. Currently, a British Olympic Association bylaw prevents athletes who have been found guilty of a doping offence from competing in the Olympics.

In June 2008, the IOC's Executive Board adopted the so-called “Osaka Rule”,a regulation “prohibiting athletes who have been suspended for more than six months for an anti-doping rule violation from participating in the next Olympic Games following the expiration of their suspension.” This has now been overruled.

The CAS panel “came to the conclusion that the 'Osaka Rule' was more properly characterized as a disciplinary sanction, rather than a pure condition of eligibility to compete in the Olympic Games.” Such a sanction does not comply with the World Anti-Doping Code, the panel ruled, “because it adds further ineligibility to the WADC anti-doping sanction after that sanction has been served.” In addition, “the 'Osaka Rule' is in fact a violation of the IOC’s own Statute and is therefore invalid and unenforceable.”

If the IOC wants to exclude athletes who have been sanctioned for doping, it should propose an amendment to the World Anti-Doping Code, the CS noted. 

If this is a known problem...

So if you know these meats are treated with banned substances...maybe you should bring your own?!?! It might not be the most ecomonical, but I'd rather spend the extra money than risk testing positive for a banned substance.

Tour of Beijing teams wary of clenbuterol in food

(http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-of-beijing-teams-wary-of-clenbuterol-in-food)

Cyclingnews has learned that teams have advised their riders not eat beef or pork during the Tour of Beijing in order to avoid accidentally testing positive for clenbuterol. The drug is used in the farming of certain meats in countries including China and has lead to a number of positive tests.

Last year Alberto Contador tested positive for the drug during the Tour de France. The amount of clenbuterol was 40 times less than the amount World Anti-Doping Agency accredited labs must be able to detect, however his sample was transported to a clinic in Cologne which is able to detect minuscule amounts of the substance. If his sample had been tested in Paris or most other European labs he would have likely escaped a positive test.

Garmin-Cervelo told Cyclingnews that its riders were under orders to avoid all beef and pork products during their stay in China, as a precaution.

"I advised my riders not to eat beef and pork. You can't use clenbuterol on chicken or fish," said Garmin-Cervelo manager Jonathan Vaughters.

Vaughters raised the issue of clenbuterol fears at a recent meeting with the UCI at the world championships and was advised that his riders should keep away from beef and pork and stick to eating fish and chicken, which are not treated with Clenbuterol.

According to Vaughters the fear wouldn't be over testing positive in China but once the athletes leave the countries. For example, an out of competition test taken in Europe or the US in a two to three day window after the race could lead to a positive. Testing will be carried out during the race, contrary to rumours that circulated on the web in the build up to the race. However the Beijing lab used for testing is not as precise in detecting clenbuterol as some other labs.

"Imagine if they get off the plane and they're tested the day after or two days after in an out of competition test and it goes to UCLA, or Europe and it goes to Cologne or Sydney in Australia, because those labs could detect the traces of it. I imagine other teams are advising the same thing but I don't know."