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New UCI boss to introduce ban on corticosteroid used by Sir Bradley Wiggins

David Lappartient keen to crack down on use of TUEs

New UCI president David Lappartient has said that he wants to introduce a full ban on corticosteroids from 2019. The move would mean that drugs such as triamcinolone, which was used by Sir Bradley Wiggins ahead of the 2012 Tour de France, could no longer be administered under a therapeutic use exemption (TUE).

In March, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said it was considering a full ban of corticosteroids, but Lappartient is keen to move ahead regardless of whether this actually comes about or not.

He suggests measures similar to those imposed by the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC) anti-doping organisation, which imposes an eight-day no-start rule following the use of cortisone.

Lappartient told Sporza cycling’s current approach could be improved: “For example, by taking a rider out [of races] for the use of cortisone. Not for a positive doping case, but for the health of the rider himself.

“We can then impose a temporary start ban. For example, the rider is left out for 15 days and returns when everything is back in order. I would like to introduce that from the beginning of 2019.”

Data published by the Fancy Bears hacking group after the Rio Olympics revealed that Wiggins had been granted TUEs to take triamcinolone ahead of three key races – the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Tour de France and the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

While questions were raised about the timing of those TUEs – each of which was around a week before the race in question – they were granted in accordance with the rules and authorised by the UCI.

Team Sky chairman Graham McWilliam later revealed that the team had ordered 55 ampoules of the substance between 2010 and 2013 and UK Anti-Doping is currently investigating allegations of possible wrongdoing.

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9 comments

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RobD | 6 years ago
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Have I missed something about Froome's use of TUEs? I know he had one a few years ago foran inhaler I think it was, but have there been others more recently? It should be pretty easy to find out.

Yes there could be a few riders who mysteriously have an off season as they might not be able to keep their power to weight ratio, but I think this is more of a PR exercise than stamping out the prevalent current doping methods.

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Must be Mad | 6 years ago
5 likes

 

Quote:

just as guilty of TUE steroid use

How can you be guilty for having a TUE?
Unless the TUE was appied for/approved dishonestly - but that is still not the same thing

NOTE: updating the rules is perfectly rational if the current rules are not working out as intended...

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
4 likes

Cool, so you realise neither are cheats. What was your point again?

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darnac | 6 years ago
0 likes

This guy is wekk-known here in France as a crowd-pleasing 'modern' politician. I hope he'll make a difference in the cycling world but I'm not holding my breath ...

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exilegareth replied to darnac | 6 years ago
1 like

darnac wrote:

This guy is wekk-known here in France as a crowd-pleasing 'modern' politician. I hope he'll make a difference in the cycling world but I'm not holding my breath ...

Just what the sport needs, a politician with no medical or scientific qualifications making up policy on the hoof.

 

As for all the imbeciles ranting on here about TUEs, just remember that if this rule runs all the way through the sport it will establish the principle that the president of the UCI can ditch the WADA code whenever he feels like it, without any meaningful evidence.

 

Just for the record, transparency and all that cobblers I am an heroically slow time triallist who needs cortico steroids once or twice a year (on prescription)  to manage my gout and asthma. According to some of the keyboard warriors there's no place in the sport for cheats like me, lol.....

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Vili Er | 6 years ago
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No mention of Froome in the article? Of course not. Go for the easy target instead of the Kenyan who's going to be screwed if he gets one of his pre Romandie style 'coughs'.

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EddyBerckx replied to Vili Er | 6 years ago
6 likes
derek n clive wrote:

No mention of Froome in the article? Of course not. Go for the easy target instead of the Kenyan who's going to be screwed if he gets one of his pre Romandie style 'coughs'.

Genuinely don't understand why people like you even follow cycle sport? If Froome wasn't no 1 it'd be someone else you'd target (Well, apart from the many teams and riders that have actually been caught, obvs).

Just chill out and follow something else like football where there is no testing and no problem

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Vili Er replied to EddyBerckx | 6 years ago
0 likes

StoopidUserName wrote:
derek n clive wrote:

No mention of Froome in the article? Of course not. Go for the easy target instead of the Kenyan who's going to be screwed if he gets one of his pre Romandie style 'coughs'.

Genuinely don't understand why people like you even follow cycle sport? If Froome wasn't no 1 it'd be someone else you'd target (Well, apart from the many teams and riders that have actually been caught, obvs). Just chill out and follow something else like football where there is no testing and no problem

 

People like me? Jog on Sky boy. I've been following professional cycling since the C4 TDF days, so I've seen a hell of a lot of dopers come and go. Froome is just as guilty of TUE steroid use pre race, but it's conveniently forgotten in pretty much every article, while Wiggin's name is trawled up over and over again.

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
0 likes

Nothing to see here

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