The Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC) has sounded an alarm over what it describes as an “alarming” rise in the number of doping cases in cycling, describing the increase as a “serious warning” for the sport.
The latest edition of the organisation’s Credibility Barometer, first published six years ago, monitors doping cases across a range of sports.
Cycling placed 13th last year, with the sport contrasting with others where the number of doping cases were growing.
“This year, we’re noting a clear break with the recent past,” said the MPCC, whose members include nine WorldTour teams, 17 Professional Continental teams, 10 Continental team and six Women’s teams.
It revealed that cycling had jumped top fifth place in terms of the number of doping cases recorded.
“This sudden increase was equally observed in men’s and women’s cycling, whether it was track cycling or road cycling (all things considered).
“While cycling had kept plummeting in the list of sports most affected by doping, it rose again from 13th to 5th in the span of just one year.”
One of the main contributors to the rise in doping cases in cycling was Operation Aderlass, the Austrian anti-doping investigation that has to date uncovered seven instances of doping involving past or present riders.
“It is not out of the question that further names are revealed soon in addition to the seven known cases in our sport (six men and one woman),” the MPCC said.
“This police operation — carried out in close conjunction with the investigators from WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) — alone does not explain the skyrocketing in the number of infractions.
“Furthermore, it served as a reminder that doping can spiral into all teams, including those committed to MPCC.
“Two hypotheses are being used as explanation for those many doping cases in 2019,” it continued: “first, a renewed interest in doping; second, better targeted doping tests.”
Track and field was the sport with the most doping cases (84), a quarter of those originating from Russia, which had 65 cases across all sports.
Weightlifting, baseball and American football all also returned more doping cases than cycling, which had 32 cases – 24 of those on the road, four in mountain biking, three on the track and one in BMX.
Radar tells me their closing speed, if they are slowing and how far away. Then I decide to say a prayer. The change of light pattern is incidental.
Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
£4.
No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
In that £1000 exactly scenario, beginners should probably be made aware that pedals will be extra.
What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
The relatives might of course disagree, but in general I'd countenance a relatively light sentence* if only we could fix it so that those who...
Id forgotten that I got a second hand set of project two's for my getting to work bike over twenty years back.
My bet is that all these tires popping off are from people with bad pressure gauges or they're simply just putting too much air in on purpose. ...
David9694 - you were right! These new autonomous vehicles really are conspiring to run out of control!...