{"id":2007532,"date":"2026-06-23T09:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T06:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2007532"},"modified":"2026-06-23T09:51:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T06:51:10","slug":"nowhere-else-would-we-accept-that-level-of-surveillance-as-clean-anxiety-sweeps-the-pro-peloton-is-the-anti-doping-system-in-need-of-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2007532","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Nowhere else would we accept that level of surveillance&#8217; \u2013 As &#8216;clean anxiety&#8217; sweeps the pro peloton, is the anti-doping system in need of reform?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/smzYAM6ZyXxpBk9GXGDqgn-2112-80.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"m-0 box-border flex flex-row items-center pr-2.5 gap-[15px] w-[278px] h-20 flex-none upnext-article-divider\" role=\"listitem\" aria-label=\"Recommended article 1 of 3\">\n<div class=\"relative flex-none w-20 h-20\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] w-20 h-20 object-cover flex-none rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-center absolute w-4 h-6 left-0 top-0 bg-white\/90 flex-none z-[1]\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                                    <span class=\"font-normal text-base leading-[17px] tracking-[1.3px] uppercase text-black flex-none\">1<\/span>\n                                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-1.5 w-[173px] h-20 flex-none\">\n<p class=\"font-article-heading font-medium text-base leading-[21px] text-gray-800 w-[173px] line-clamp-3 group-hover:underline\">\n                                    Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing\n                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"m-0 box-border flex flex-row items-center pr-2.5 gap-[15px] w-[278px] h-20 flex-none upnext-article-divider\" role=\"listitem\" aria-label=\"Recommended article 2 of 3\">\n<div class=\"relative flex-none w-20 h-20\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/v3VbWozZsMWsjmbVCxGKmi.jpg\" alt=\"SONDRIO, ITALY - JUNE 17: Urska Zigart of Slovenia and Team AG Insurance - Soudal crosses the finish line during the 10th Tour de Suisse Women 2026, Stage 1 a 109.3km stage from Sondrio to Sondrio \/ #UCIWWT \/ on June 17, 2026 in Sondrio, Italy. (Photo by Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] w-20 h-20 object-cover flex-none rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-center absolute w-[18px] h-6 left-0 top-0 bg-white\/90 flex-none z-[1]\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                                    <span class=\"font-normal text-base leading-[17px] tracking-[1.3px] uppercase text-black flex-none\">2<\/span>\n                                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-1.5 w-[173px] h-20 flex-none\">\n<p class=\"font-article-heading font-medium text-base leading-[21px] text-gray-800 w-[173px] line-clamp-3 group-hover:underline\">\n                                    &#8216;Serious incidents continue to occur&#8217; \u2013 CPA Women calls for &#8216;substantial review&#8217; of SafeR after Ur\u0161ka \u017digart&#8217;s crash at Tour de Suisse\n                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"m-0 box-border flex flex-row items-center pr-2.5 gap-[15px] w-[278px] h-20 flex-none\" role=\"listitem\" aria-label=\"Recommended article 3 of 3\">\n<div class=\"relative flex-none w-20 h-20\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SbgTNo3DmRRG8no6iYHSE8.jpg\" alt=\"Elite riders march through the mud as they approach an paved intersection on the Unbound Gravel 200 course, with media present in the area\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] w-20 h-20 object-cover flex-none rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-center absolute w-[18px] h-6 left-0 top-0 bg-white\/90 flex-none z-[1]\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                                    <span class=\"font-normal text-base leading-[17px] tracking-[1.3px] uppercase text-black flex-none\">3<\/span>\n                                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-1.5 w-[173px] h-20 flex-none\">\n<p class=\"font-article-heading font-medium text-base leading-[21px] text-gray-800 w-[173px] line-clamp-3 group-hover:underline\">\n                                    &#8216;I would trade all the prize money for safety&#8217; \u2013 Top gravel pros voice concerns about mayhem with media vehicles, intersections and feed zones\n                                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"clear-both widget-header\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<div id=\"kiosq-metered-message\" class=\"kiosq-metered-message-content\"><\/div>\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRules\n<\/li>\n<li>\nDoping\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;Nowhere else would we accept that level of surveillance&#8217; \u2013 As &#8216;clean anxiety&#8217; sweeps the pro peloton, is the anti-doping system in need of reform?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\" data-component-name=\"Article:Hero:KiosqPaywallLabels\">\n<span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><br \/>\nMEMBER EXCLUSIVE<br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kiosq-metered-message-content\">\n<p id=\"kiosq-metered-message\" class=\"kiosq-metered-message\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline font-ui-heading text-[12px]\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div>\n<span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nJames Witts <\/span><br \/>\n<span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-06-23T09:51:10Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n23 June 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Strict liability, the Whereabouts system and the fear of contamination \u2013 Cyclingnews investigates the unseen pressures athletes face to prove they&#8217;re not doping<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit))] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/smzYAM6ZyXxpBk9GXGDqgn.png\" alt=\"Split image of an &amp;#039;Anti Doping Control&amp;#039; sign at the Tour de France and testing equipment - bottles etc - on a table\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full object-center\" data-component-name=\"Image\"><figcaption class=\"font-article-copy text-(--image--text--color) font-article-copy mt-2\"> <span class=\"caption-text font-article-copy\">Pro cyclists face testing in and out of competition<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"credit font-article-copy\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>    <span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-986e5f7e-6397-4da1-812f-755b0131d8a9\">&#8220;Secrets are poison. They suck the life out of you.&#8221; Tyler Hamilton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.&#8221; Lance Armstrong.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"><\/a><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"><\/aside>\n<p id=\"elk-986e5f7e-6397-4da1-812f-755b0131d8a9-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;This place has been my home. They liked me here. Not anymore. Now they will look the other way. Now I don&#8217;t belong.&#8221; David Millar.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Is doping worth it? To live everyday looking over your shoulder? To enhance performance but diminish character? Cheating equals high anxiety and, of course, little sympathy. The stress-free solution? Don&#8217;t dope. It&#8217;s simple. Or is it?<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">These days, the advanced anti-doping and testing system means athletes face &#8216;strict liability&#8217; for every single substance they consume, vigilance so high that they can&#8217;t even buy vitamin C at a pharmacy, and surveillance that requires them to provide their location at a specific time every single day.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yRHyMUt6EZE9MLsa2o3SVf.jpg\" alt=\"A rider using MyWhoosh indoors \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Dope testing heads indoors: Virtual racers to provide blood and urine samples as MyWhoosh launches first e-sports anti-doping regime<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/C2p2nqZ32qdzuXogCiQiW9.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration featuring data-tracking devices, Pavel Sivakov, and data visuals\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;A geeky area of technology is blowing up into one of cycling&#8217;s trickiest dilemmas&#8217; &#8211; How has rider data become such a controversial conundrum for the sport?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Is adhering to an anti-doping system that monitors you every day of the year, where you&#8217;re guilty until proven innocent, in need of reform for athlete sanity? <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> investigated the system, the rules, and the mental impact they have on riders who are just trying to stay clean, and prove it.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-982013f9-4509-46ed-966f-7ac3ac0eacad\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-contamination-issue-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The contamination issue<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-bdb5a4aa-4717-4644-8654-e2604231c223\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Michael Woods enjoyed a stellar 13-year professional career, primarily for Cannondale (now EF Education-EasyPost) and Israel-PremierTech (now NSN Cycling Team). He won four Grand Tour stages \u2013 one at the Tour de France, three at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a\u2013 and the prestigious one-day race, Milan-Torino. Woods retired from the WorldTour at the end of 2025 but, like many modern-day pros, he soon swapped road for gravel. When we caught up, he&#8217;d just &#8216;won&#8217; the Canadian gravel national championships. Possibly. Extreme heat led to the event being cancelled while riders were still out on the course, meaning Woods&#8217; result was in doubt. Unlike his stance on cheats.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;ll start off by saying that dopers ruin the sport for all of us,&#8221; he says. &#8220;I&#8217;m all for clean sport and forged a career from clean sport. But the anti-doping system, while a necessary burden, is a massive burden. It&#8217;s a huge stress. During my entire career, I guarantee that I never intentionally took a performance-enhancing substance. But I couldn&#8217;t guarantee that I wouldn&#8217;t have tested positive for one.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That&#8217;s not an admission of guilt or Machiavellian Armstrong wordplay \u2013 &#8220;I&#8217;ve been tested 500 times and I&#8217;ve never failed a drug test&#8221; \u2013 but an honest appraisal of a system that can end careers if an athlete&#8217;s urine or blood sample shows traces of one of more than 400 prohibited substances.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">According to WADA&#8217;s (World Anti-Doping Agency) Athletes&#8217; Anti-Doping Rights Act, &#8216;strict liability&#8217; means that the athlete is solely responsible for any &#8220;any banned substance you use, attempt to use or is found in your system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was any intention to cheat&#8221;. In anti-doping, not knowing isn&#8217;t an excuse. You must live pure in an impure world.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cMN2PW8UR8zRDm4M4FwR8T.jpg\" alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar surrounded by athletes from various other sports\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">An illogical calendar, &#8216;crazy&#8217; attitudes towards safety, and an outdated relationship with its fans \u2013 What needs to change for cycling to catch up with other sports?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vYuMPxP5T8JcKDQY3vkQ2c.png\" alt=\"Cat Ferguson riding the British U23 TT Championships in 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">My RED-S experience felt like a constant battle of trying to understand my body and failing, now I know less is more and that life isn&#8217;t all about cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bS7KhGbDtaAB7X2dPh3tXD.jpg\" alt=\"Evan Boyle\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Former USPro Nationals medallist accepts 16-month sanction for Whereabouts Failure<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Unless you live on a farm, isolated from the rest of the world, growing your own food and ensuring no-one touches it, can you guarantee that something isn&#8217;t contaminated?&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;Whenever I took a drugs test, that played on my mind. It&#8217;s stressful and it&#8217;s the same throughout the peloton.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-97a38ae5-4722-40ce-9580-28ff6ced8972\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VM4M2QPGCcSXivCuF93NqY.jpg\" alt=\"ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Michael Woods of Team Canada competes during the 97th UCI Cycling World Championships Zurich 2024, Men&amp;amp;amp;apos;s Elite Road Race a 273.9km one day race from Winterthur to Zurich on September 29, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] full-width\">\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Woods competing for Canada at the 2024 World Championships <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-bf4a2615-38ee-4523-8c8c-2749197fc8eb\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;One of the biggest stressors is that you&#8217;re guilty unless you can prove your innocence. And even if you prove how you ended up consuming contaminated food, by virtue of how the media handles the story and how the sport deals with you, you&#8217;re tainted. I have friends who tested positive but discovered the source of contamination and were exonerated. But the damage to their finances and reputations was irreparable.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;They&#8217;re especially damning in Canada. I&#8217;m proud of the fact that our country is vehemently for anti-doping, but it means any positive test results in you being crucified. Arguably, this goes back to Ben Johnson and what happened in South Korea. We were burnt and embarrassed on an international scale.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">For our younger readers, the muscular Johnson won the 100m men&#8217;s race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in a new world record, before ignominiously leaving the Games and being stripped of gold after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. It was arguably the biggest story in Olympic history. A piece of graffiti in the Olympic village encapsulated the drama: &#8220;Hero to zero in 9.79 secs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-e48b3408-01b5-4faf-9ecc-681772267cfe\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"hormone-fuelled-food-system-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Hormone-fuelled food system<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1264e179-6f35-4f83-b415-407d48c5bd27\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Johnson confessed to doping. Many banned athletes don&#8217;t, blaming their positive test on contamination. In the monochrome world of doping, it&#8217;s seen as a convenient excuse. But the evidence suggests many grey areas.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Take the steroid trenbolone, used in the American food industry to boost the efficiency and yield of meat production. It&#8217;s legal in the USA. But trenbolone is on WADA&#8217;s prohibited list. Maximum residue figures are set for how much trenbolone commonly remains in a slaughtered animal from farm to fork for anti-doping purposes. Several assumptions are made that impact these residue figures, including point of administration. Trenbolone is mixed into a compressed pellet and injected into the back of the cattle&#8217;s ear. The steroid then dissolves into the bloodstream. After around 200 days, the animals are &#8216;harvested&#8217;, whereby the ears are removed to prevent potential contamination.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">If the farmer follows standard practice and an athlete records an anti-doping violation, the contaminated meat excuse is flimsy. But not, many a defendant has argued, if the pellet was misplaced and entered muscles from which rib-eye and loin steaks are cut. Or oxtail. That was the defence of runner Erriyon Knighton, who tested positive for trenbolone in March 2024. An independent arbitrator initially cleared him after accepting that contaminated meat likely caused the result, allowing him to compete at the Paris Olympics where the American finished fourth in the 200m. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled the contamination evidence was insufficient and imposed a four-year ban. Knighton continues to protest his innocence.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Clenbuterol is another WADA-prohibited substance used to increase meat yields, albeit it&#8217;s banned around the world because residues are high enough to cause health issues. Despite that, there&#8217;s a huge black market in many Latin American and South-east Asian countries.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Alberto Contador was handed a two-year ban and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory after testing positive for clenbuterol. The Spaniard&#8217;s contamination defence \u2013 that it was down to eating meat brought across the border from Spain to Pau on the rest day \u2013 didn&#8217;t hold up because the illegal clenbuterol farming practices are rare in Spain, despite Contador passing a lie detector test.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">(As an aside, for my new book <em>Dope<\/em> I interviewed Morten Hostrup, associate professor of physiology at the University of Copenhagen, who&#8217;d recently undertaken human studies on clenbuterol. Hostrup told me it&#8217;s great for muscle building but actually impairs endurance performance because it &#8216;suppresses mitochondrial function&#8217; in the muscle. &#8220;It&#8217;s one reason why the current regulations would have accepted Contador&#8217;s explanation,&#8221; he told me. &#8220;He wouldn&#8217;t have been suspended.&#8221;)<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-4cb9407c-9d0c-4b9a-89ec-bafc82a396c7\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In short, contamination is a very real stressor for professional athletes. &#8220;I raced the Vuelta a Mexico [which last took place in 2015 but is scheduled for a return in 2027] and the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China and basically you eat rice and eggs,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;You have to be hyper-vigilant and it&#8217;s an extra stressor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-b7ce93d4-01b5-4a2f-9ea1-5187db7bd4dd\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"supplementary-pressures-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Supplementary pressures<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-b2714a66-930a-4f78-8f4b-2d875bc5be08\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s the same with supplements. According to a 2025 survey by Sport Integrity Australia, one in three sport supplements \u2013 around 35 per cent of 200 samples \u2013 bought online contained at least one substance prohibited by WADA. Why is down to two reasons: accidental (the equipment wasn&#8217;t cleaned thoroughly) and intentional (the manufacturer purposely added a prohibited performance-enhancer to crank up its effectiveness and have the athlete coming back for more).<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">WADA recommends athletes take supplements that are third-party tested. These products will feature the testing company&#8217;s respective logos, and include NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice and Informed Sport.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;You couldn&#8217;t take anything not approved by the team,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;It makes sense, but if you&#8217;re feeling under the weather and want to buy vitamin C, you can&#8217;t go to the pharmacy and be an adult. You have to report to mom and dad and ask if it&#8217;s OK. It&#8217;s for the right reasons, but it becomes crazy. You lose any autonomy and it&#8217;s something you&#8217;re constantly thinking about.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;When I first started competing, I was proud of making sure I was doing everything right,&#8221; Woods adds. &#8220;Come the end of my road career, I&#8217;d been on some form of anti-doping programme for nearly 15 years. After all that time, you start to think, \u2018Fuck this. I am so over it!'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Or I&#8217;m not just over this, but I&#8217;m over life, in the case of former British cyclist Lizzy Banks, whose contamination case left her battling suicidal thoughts. In July 2023, Banks tested positive for traces of the banned diuretic chlortalidone. April 2024, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) cleared Banks, accepting that contamination likely stemmed from a tablet she took for asthma. June 2024, WADA appealed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, ruling that she&#8217;d failed to prove the source of the contamination despite overwhelming scientific and contextual evidence and so banned her for two years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"instagram-embed kiosq-b\" id=\"elk-DNPnzS_o5hf\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version=\"6\">\n<p>A post shared by Lizzy Banks (@elizzybanks)<\/p>\n<p>A photo posted by on <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-eff273ff-52de-4936-aa3a-740a733c895b\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;This case demonstrates the high bar set by the application of the &#8216;strict liability&#8217; principle,&#8221; UKAD pronounced, &#8220;and the challenges in identifying and establishing unintentional violations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The &#8216;will they, won&#8217;t they?&#8217; sanction left Banks in turmoil.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure yet whether I regret having carried on the fight,&#8221; she wrote at the time. &#8220;I&#8217;m so empty right now that I barely know what I feel anymore. But this is what they do to people like me. They crush us. They expect that we will just walk away and they will never have any consequences. But there must be consequences.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Banks proposed a series of anti-doping changes to protect athlete welfare including easing the burden of proof \u2013 that athletes shouldn&#8217;t be required to provide the exact source of contamination when strong scientific evidence shows the substance level is incompatible with intentional use. She sees the current system as creating prolonged uncertainty and psychological harm.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-524d913d-6e56-435e-b1ee-a59d55bf63be\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whereabouts-is-the-welfare-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Whereabouts is the welfare?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-47b81500-b2ed-49d7-8de4-766c40c64da7\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">As do a dozen professional tennis players, including Nick Kyrgios, who in January 2025 filed a legal case against tennis federations and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for a complete disregard of athlete well-being when enforcing anti-doping policing.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The case came off the back of doping allegations against the men&#8217;s world number one, Jannik Sinner, who twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol. WADA accepted the Italian&#8217;s story that he didn&#8217;t cheat and exposure came via his fitness coach&#8217;s massage cream. Both parties agreed to a three-month ban that some felt conveniently expired before the second Major of the year, the French Open. The civil class-action cited his preferential treatment due to potential financial implications and access to superior legal representation.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">A team of academics \u2013 including Alex Smith, senior researcher at Bern University in Switzerland \u2013 examined the complaint in a paper entitled, &#8216;Coercive compliance? Anti-doping systems in tennis and athlete mental health.&#8217; It&#8217;s a fascinating read and draws attention to the need for fairness when enforcing anti-doping policy.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The focus of most anti-doping bodies remains firmly on detection and deterrence, which is understandable, but the inadvertent psychological implications of compliance sits largely outside that frame,&#8221; co-author Smith tells us. &#8220;Research has documented what some call \u2018clean anxiety&#8217; among athletes, which is a persistent fear of inadvertent rule violations and the reputational damage that would follow.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;For younger athletes who are still developing, that could be particularly problematic. They&#8217;re trying to establish themselves in elite sport, managing uncertain incomes, unpredictable travel, sometimes young families, and on top of all that they carry this background fear of making an administrative error that carries the same punishment as failing a drugs test.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">For administrative error, read the Whereabouts system. This is a requirement in any sport signed up to the WADA Code and allows anti-doping authorities to conduct unannounced drug tests on athletes between 6am and 11pm (and, in some cases like targeted testing, also between 11pm and 6am) on any day of the year. Athletes must update their ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration Management System) to give a specific 60-minute time slot each day when they guarantee they&#8217;ll be available for testing. You can update it any time before that 60-minute time slot begins. If you miss three tests within a 12-month period, you&#8217;re banned.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-3c3f1497-1c18-4bd6-8f5a-770cf489a553\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KCGequQd6vLdQ3KNEuuuLU.jpg\" alt=\"during the Women&amp;#039;s Road Race on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Fort Copacabana on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] full-width\">\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Lizzie Deignan narrowly avoided a ban after missing tests in the run-up to the Olympics in Rio <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-a970ed19-82c1-4518-8926-6a981c4e23d5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Athletes have described the constant need to remain organised, available and compliant, particularly during periods of travel, family commitments, illness or other major life stressors,&#8221; says Smith. &#8220;The concern is often less about being monitored and more about the possibility of making an administrative mistake that could carry significant professional consequences. In that respect, the psychological burden may be less visible than other stressors in elite sport, but it does remain present in the background of athletes&#8217; lives.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Smith stresses that the integrity of anti-doping testing is vitally important and out-of-competition testing is an effective tool. &#8220;However, athletes are required to disclose their whereabouts around the clock, submit to surprise testing and provide highly sensitive health data, including biometric identifiers and medical information,&#8221; he says. &#8220;Nowhere else in a democratic society would we accept that level of surveillance as a condition of employment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That&#8217;s the academic viewpoint. What about the athletic one? &#8220;Of course, out-of-competition testing and monitoring is important,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;Dick Pound [former president of WADA] had a great saying that if you fail in competition, you&#8217;ve failed two tests: the doping control test and the IQ test!<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;So, things like the Whereabouts system are useful but I&#8217;d actually have preferred a tracking device, especially in the off-season when you&#8217;re looking to switch off from cycling mode. That&#8217;s when your plans tend to change. You might head to your mate&#8217;s for a couple of drinks and the last thing you&#8217;re thinking of is logging into your phone to change the address on ADAMS. You then awake the next morning and panic that if the doping officer visited, you&#8217;ve messed up.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Thankfully, I was pretty diligent and only had one out-of-competition miss, which I contested because the tester made fundamental errors and it was removed. The area \u2013 Andorra, where I was living \u2013 was unfamiliar to them and they went to the wrong building. But it was stressful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Woods says he has friends who missed three tests in the 12-month period but fought the last one and won. &#8220;And I know others who missed three and were banned.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-8a60a880-6941-47b0-91a1-ab68ba18d1d5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"punished-for-neurology-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Punished for neurology <\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1b03d8ed-bea6-486d-897b-a71957b5d5cd\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Further pressure arises from the therapeutic usage exemption (TUE) system, which allows prohibited substances to be used for medical reasons. It&#8217;s supposed to be performance-enabling rather than enhancing, though is perceived to be widely abused.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The burden arises from the additional documentation and evidentiary requirements imposed by the anti-doping framework,&#8221; says Smith. &#8220;For conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it&#8217;s a challenge. Many cyclists take medication for ADHD, which is on the prohibited list, but the process of sorting a TUE is extremely involved. That&#8217;s not great for a disorder associated with forgetfulness and disorganisation. You&#8217;re almost punishing someone for having the disorder, which means many might not bother taking the medication to avoid form-filling. If you&#8217;re in the middle of a peloton and you&#8217;ve got a disorder that&#8217;s linked to hyperactivity and impulsivity, that has clear implications for you and your fellow riders.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;That&#8217;s me,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never been officially diagnosed but I was almost held back a grade and repeatedly told I had &#8216;attention issues&#8217;. If I was younger, I&#8217;m confident I&#8217;d have been diagnosed with ADHD at school. Keeping on top of these forms and apps is a real issue and can kill careers. Miss tests and teams won&#8217;t sign you. Sponsors won&#8217;t sponsor you. You can&#8217;t race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Smith says British Cycling has delivered TUE courses specifically aimed at riders with ADHD, but suggests all levels of elite athletes should be better supported, as they can face considerable costs simply to demonstrate eligibility for a treatment that&#8217;s medically needed. More broadly, he says that greater focus must centre on the daily strain of adhering to anti-doping policy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"elk-f15b86ed-f9d9-4f17-b893-afd793c55f1c\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\n<blockquote class=\"vanilla-quoteblock\">\n<p>A welfare check-in, delivered through the existing infrastructure, would catch athletes who are struggling before they reach crisis point.<\/p><figcaption><cite>Alex Smith<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-782a7e59-fa1a-4ad5-af1b-f64b0a8cce5c\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The argument is always that athletes consent to it, but that consent is functionally coerced,&#8221; he says. &#8220;An athlete who refuses compliance faces immediate exclusion from international competition. The balance shifts when you build genuine welfare support into the framework. Right now, the obligations are clearly defined and the consequences of failure are clearly defined, but the psychological support available to athletes navigating that system remains largely absent. We believe that you can uphold rigorous testing and provide mental health resources.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;We&#8217;d suggest introducing mandatory welfare assessments as part of the anti-doping relationship as standard practice for any athlete in a registered testing pool,&#8221; Smith continues. &#8220;Right now, the system is entirely focussed on compliance. There&#8217;s no touchpoint where anyone asks how an athlete is actually doing. A welfare check-in, delivered through the existing infrastructure, would catch athletes who are struggling before they reach crisis point, and it would send a signal that anti-doping organisations view athletes as people with lives and health needs rather than just samples to be collected.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">This humanising of the anti-doping system is picked up on by those dozen tennis players, who contested the ITIA policy of &#8220;requiring players selected for drug testing to shower under direct observation if they choose to wash before providing a sample&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Woods echoes the indignity. &#8220;I&#8217;ve had testers come straight after my morning coffee. Let&#8217;s just say I&#8217;m regular after that first caffeine hit. The chaperone can&#8217;t take their eyes off you once you&#8217;ve opened the door, so I&#8217;ve had times when I&#8217;ve taken a shit staring eyeball to eyeball with a tester. I get it because there are cases in the past of athletes passing off clean samples by using a prosthetic penis. But you don&#8217;t want it, the tester certainly doesn&#8217;t want it. I must admit, you do sit there thinking fuck the dopers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Anti-doping remains essential. Few athletes and researchers would argue otherwise. Yet as sport pursues cheats with ever greater vigilance, it must also consider the cost borne by those playing by the rules. For every doper trying to evade detection, thousands of clean athletes are navigating surveillance, suspicion and the fear of inadvertent error. Protecting sport&#8217;s integrity matters. Protecting the well-being of the people who uphold it matters, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"kiosq-app-paywall-js\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"this-will-be-used-for-mpu-2\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-2bdx2WGvEoZrjoUph9fbkW\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-2bdx2WGvEoZrjoUph9fbkW slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">James Witts<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__social\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div id=\"viafoura-comments\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative max-w-[1070px] viafoura-twig-component mt-6 mx-4 lg:mx-0\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class=&apos;vfcustom-community-guidelines&apos;&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"relative h-(--truncate-height) sm:h-(--truncate-desktop-height) overflow-hidden transition-[height] duration-150\" data-test-id=\"container\" data-component-name=\"Util:Truncate\" id=\"viafoura-comments-container\">\n<div class=\"relative z-10 viafoura rounded-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\" id=\"viafoura-comment-wrapper\" data-test-id=\"content\">\n<div class=\"viafoura\">\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"absolute bg-gradient-to-t from-[var(--truncate-gradient-color,white)] from-50% h-28 z-20 w-full bottom-0 flex items-end justify-center px-0 rounded-none\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1 rounded-b-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-lg!\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-sm!\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yRHyMUt6EZE9MLsa2o3SVf.jpg\" alt=\"A rider using MyWhoosh indoors \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Dope testing heads indoors: Virtual racers to provide blood and urine samples as MyWhoosh launches first e-sports anti-doping regime<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/C2p2nqZ32qdzuXogCiQiW9.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration featuring data-tracking devices, Pavel Sivakov, and data visuals\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A geeky area of technology is blowing up into one of cycling&#8217;s trickiest dilemmas&#8217; &#8211; How has rider data become such a controversial conundrum for the sport?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cMN2PW8UR8zRDm4M4FwR8T.jpg\" alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar surrounded by athletes from various other sports\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">An illogical calendar, &#8216;crazy&#8217; attitudes towards safety, and an outdated relationship with its fans \u2013 What needs to change for cycling to catch up with other sports?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vYuMPxP5T8JcKDQY3vkQ2c.png\" alt=\"Cat Ferguson riding the British U23 TT Championships in 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">My RED-S experience felt like a constant battle of trying to understand my body and failing, now I know less is more and that life isn&#8217;t all about cycling<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bS7KhGbDtaAB7X2dPh3tXD.jpg\" alt=\"Evan Boyle\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Former USPro Nationals medallist accepts 16-month sanction for Whereabouts Failure<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/d6ggy29CWaGPhrnARtfmCj.jpg\" alt=\"Dutch Jan-Willem van Schip pictured during the team presentation ahead of the Baloise Belgium Tour cycling race, in Merelbeke, Tuesday 14 June 2022. The Baloise Belgium Tour takes place from 15 to 19 June. BELGA PHOTO DAVID STOCKMAN (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN \/ BELGA MAG \/ Belga via AFP) (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN\/BELGA MAG\/AFP via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The situation is becoming a bit untenable&#8217; \u2013 Jan-Willem van Schip&#8217;s team manager says fines for repeated disqualifications are &#8216;unsustainable&#8217;<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BQ4X8ptLLkEgbvgMKAHyu8.jpg\" alt=\"Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio of South Africa and Team AG Insurance - Soudal competes during the 12th La Vuelta Femenina 2026\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;It was not intentional; there&#8217;s absolutely no doubt in my mind&#8217; &#8211; Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio on Lorena Wiebes&#8217; disqualification and the UCI minimum weight limit<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ocR6MkHYzyLQmQ6E5xo7yM.jpg\" alt=\"Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) celebrates in the maglia rosa after winning the opening stage, taking the lead at the 2026 Giro d&amp;#039;Italia Women in Ravenna, Italy. (Photo by Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Rules<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lorena Wiebes&#8217; bike weight disqualification: How did it happen, what happens next, and who&#8217;s to blame? Here&#8217;s everything we know<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SbgTNo3DmRRG8no6iYHSE8.jpg\" alt=\"Elite riders march through the mud as they approach an paved intersection on the Unbound Gravel 200 course, with media present in the area\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I would trade all the prize money for safety&#8217; \u2013 Top gravel pros voice concerns about mayhem with media vehicles, intersections and feed zones<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8MsDaNHbjaSvZpTZSBHPg8.jpg\" alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar surrounded by sports stars from soccer, american football, tennis, F1, ice hockey and basketball \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A billion-dollar business soon to be a relic? What pro cycling can learn from the blueprints of F1 and soccer<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JgqRCpzdcZeU5cmG9LUFhk.png\" alt=\"Collage of images including a Tour Down Under team convoy, British track cyclist, and Tour de France-themed aeroplane\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From electric convoys to fossil fuel sponsors: How seriously is cycling taking sustainability?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Doping<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yRHyMUt6EZE9MLsa2o3SVf.jpg\" alt=\"A rider using MyWhoosh indoors \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Dope testing heads indoors: Virtual racers to provide blood and urine samples as MyWhoosh launches first e-sports anti-doping regime<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bS7KhGbDtaAB7X2dPh3tXD.jpg\" alt=\"Evan Boyle\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Former USPro Nationals medallist accepts 16-month sanction for Whereabouts Failure<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6z9KBy9AEW5mTgc9gjtLbV.jpg\" alt=\"B\u00e1lint Makrai in action at the 2025 Memorial Marco Pantani\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">19-year-old Hungarian racer provisionally suspended following anabolic steroid positive<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GxxFuugkKDWfxEYAKmm56a.jpg\" alt=\"DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 06: Linda Laporta of Italy and Team BePink - Imatra - Bongioanni attacks during the 3rd UAE Tour Women, Stage 1 a 149km stage from Dubai Police Officer&amp;amp;apos;s Club to Dubai Harbour \/ #UCIWWT \/ on February 06, 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Italian racer provisionally suspended following Enobosarm positive at UAE Tour Women<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EoBR7MDFwFVSm7YLWnWZM.jpg\" alt=\"TAVIRA, PORTUGAL - MAY 07: Venceslau Fernandes of Portugal and Team Antarte - Feirense during the 47th Volta Ao Algarve 2021, Stage 3 a 203,1km stage from Faro to Tavira \/ @VoltAlgarve \/ #VAlgarve2021 \/ on May 07, 2021 in Tavira, Portugal. (Photo by Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Portuguese team handed racing suspension following multiple doping cases within the same year<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/p3BLMMaQZsY9B7M9sYBP3Q.jpg\" alt=\"EL ONCE - ALTO VERJ\u00d3N, COLOMBIA - FEBRUARY 16: Start \/ Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo of Colombia and Team Medellin Blue Mountain Jersey \/ during the 3rd Tour of Colombia 2020, Stage 6 a 182,6km stage from Zipaquir\u00e1 to El Once - Alto Verj\u00f3n 3290m \/ @TourColombiaUCI \/ #TourColombia2020 \/ on February 16, 2020 in El Once - Alto Verj\u00f3n, Colombia. (Photo by Maximiliano Blanco\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Colombian team handed 30-day racing ban following two doping cases in 2025<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wEmEimUDYpMUHGokK4FGTe.jpg\" alt=\"ALULA - CAMEL CUP TRACK, SAUDI ARABIA - JANUARY 27: Sean Christian of United States and Team Modern Adventure Pro Cycling competes during the 6th AlUla Tour 2026, Stage 1 a 158km stage from AlUla Camel Cup Track to AlUla Camel Cup Track on January 27, 2026 in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Modern Adventure provisionally admitted to anti-doping group MPCC after &#8216;additional due diligence&#8217; over doping pasts of team management<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aW3pDVbMp8fh7dF9jGvC4N.jpg\" alt=\"Martha Bayona\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Colombian track star receives 18-month ban from UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal over three whereabouts failures in less than a year<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CafLz5fFBMbXoxNStnF77S.jpg\" alt=\"Germ\u00e1n Dar\u00edo G\u00f3mez during a 2025 race\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Polti VisitMalta rider provisionally suspended by UCI and team after adverse finding in anti-doping test<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nj4nEoFrStjggGmsKGTTXD.png\" alt=\"FRANCE - JULY 18: TOUR DE FRANCE 1998; Ausschluss des FESTINA TEAMS wegen DOPING Verdachts; Richard VIRENQUE\/FRA - FESTINA TEAM FAHRER - (Photo by Andreas Rentz\/Bongarts\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From suspended prison sentences to reality TV &#8211; What happened to Festina&#8217;s infamous 1998 Tour de France team after the affair that &#8216;almost killed French cycling&#8217;?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmpJoqZWMFDrQ8caFjw4MZ.jpg\" alt=\"Ben Healy in one of his last races of 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;In any sport I think it&#8217;s impossible to go: Oh yeah, the sport is 100% clean&#8217; \u2013 2025 Tour de France leader Ben Healy points out potential upper limit of anti-doping measures <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8k6SXbb6jL6DZSJxhYFt73.jpg\" alt=\"Belgian Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step pictured after stage 17 of the 2024 Tour de France cycling race, from Saint-Paul-Trois-Ch\u00e2teaux to Superdevoluy (177,8 km), in France, on Wednesday 17 July 2024. The 111th edition of the Tour de France starts on Saturday 29 June and will finish in Nice, France on 21 July. BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS (Photo by DAVID PINTENS \/ BELGA MAG \/ Belga via AFP)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Anti-doping group MPCC calls on UCI to &#8216;stop the escalating medicalisation of the sport,&#8217; citing ketones and Tapendatol use<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc.png\" alt=\"WAREGEM, BELGIUM - APRIL 01: (L-R) Race winner Marlen Reusser of Switzerland and Team Movistar, Lieke Nooijen of Netherlands and Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Demi Vollering of Netherlands and Team FDJ United - SUEZ sprint at finish line during the 14th Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026 - Women&amp;#039;s Elite a 128.8km one day race from Waregem to Waregem \/ #UCIWWT \/ on April 01, 2026 in Waregem, Belgium. (Photo by Billy Ceusters\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour de France Femmes \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/DCs8vAeEcyYK4biYWhQxET.png\" alt=\"Luke Tuckwell\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How moving to Europe as a 17-year-old changed my life \u2013 Luke Tuckwell&#8217;s rapid rise to the pro ranks, in his own words<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Av6vwm2k94B2FtcNww6iFd.jpg\" alt=\"Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert during the 2025 Tour de France\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How do you replace Wout van Aert at the Tour de France? Analysing who could fill the void in Visma&#8217;s supporting cast for Jonas Vingegaard<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9MbG9GdU3mvWprkKgLmHo8.png\" alt=\"Wout van Aert waves to the crowd from stage of Tour de France presentation, Jonas Vingegaard is next to him\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Wout van Aert missing the Tour de France is a huge loss for Jonas Vingegaard, and the race itself<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/czKQzkxAxVNaJrMLg2MYYW.jpg\" alt=\"Stooge Rambler\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Bikes<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Early access: Cyclingnews subscribers can watch our Stooge Rambler review before anyone else<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JMw3Kp2CE4BeKXbeADJszj.jpg\" alt=\"Orbea Oiz 2026 MTB\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Mountain Bikes<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Updated Orbea Oiz keeps Orbea at the top of the XC MTB game<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LtS4bcjAdUZx9pd4bQry8G.jpg\" alt=\"ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 20: Jay Vine of Australia and UAE Team Emirates - XRG competes during the 26th Santos Tour Down Under 2026 - Prologue a 3.6km individual time trial stage from Adelaide to Adelaide \/ #UCIWT \/ on January 20, 2026 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Con Chronis\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">2026 Road National Champions index<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Eou6PBjz4ofE4cJbQSp7n8.jpg\" alt=\"Luke Tuckwell, Isaac del Toro, and Juan Ayuso on the final podium of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">There were winners and losers at the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes, but mainly losers \u2013 including anyone hoping for a ramp-up in Tour de France tension<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Tyz3yibsnQmf4ub7JimxgW.jpg\" alt=\"BEAUFORT, FRANCE - JUNE 14: Paul Seixas of France and Team Decathlon CMA CGM meets the media press prior to the 78th Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes 2026, Stage 8 a 120.1km stage from Beaufort to Plateau de Solaison - Brison 1497m \/ #UCIWT \/ on June 14, 2026 in Beaufort, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From glory to futility \u2013 What version of Paul Seixas will rise from the ashes of his torched Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SbgTNo3DmRRG8no6iYHSE8.jpg\" alt=\"Elite riders march through the mud as they approach an paved intersection on the Unbound Gravel 200 course, with media present in the area\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I would trade all the prize money for safety&#8217; \u2013 Top gravel pros voice concerns about mayhem with media vehicles, intersections and feed zones<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xcRHnx9R4ss9w7pJwVVKiV.jpg\" alt=\"Baudin in yellow and Vauquelin in the white jersey stand on the start line talking\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Ineos with leadership issues, Seixas and Del Toro with ground to make up \u2013 GC analysis ahead of mountain triple-header in Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"related-articles-block\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"ads\" id=\"ads-middle-1\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-ads widget-ads-middle-1 widget-ads-ads-middle-1 widget-no-data widget-ads-flexi_ads_middle1\">\n<div id=\"bdx_flexi_ads_middle1\" data-type=\"ads\" data-ads-type=\"bordeaux\" class=\"flexi_ads_middle1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar widget-empty-sidebar widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar-top\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar-top widget-empty-sidebar-top ad-unit widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"follow-us-on-google-news\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-follow-us-on-google-news widget-contentparsed-follow-us-on-google-news widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-curated \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar-popular-top\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar-popular-top widget-empty-sidebar-popular-top ad-unit widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"clear-both widget-header\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eThUTVN6sKvxM6Wv3dqFmg.jpg\" alt=\"Paul Seixas (L) and Isaac Del Toro Romero speak at the start line before the 8th and final stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes\" class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I put him up there alongside Jonas Vingegaard&#8217; \u2013 UAE Team Emirates manager praises Paul Seixas before Tour de France showdown<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;It&#8217;s a catastrophe&#8217; \u2013 emergency services called after major fire affects famous Paris-Roubaix restaurant<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Sometimes it seems the harder things get, the more fun I find it&#8217; \u2013 Demi Vollering reflects on back-to-the-wall Giro d&#8217;Italia victory<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Nowhere else would we accept that level of surveillance&#8217; \u2013 As &#8216;clean anxiety&#8217; sweeps the pro peloton, is the anti-doping system in need of reform?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">The Continental GP5000 S TR is proven to be the best road tyre, and it&#8217;s currently discounted by up to 38% for Amazon Prime Day<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar-popular-bottom\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar-popular-bottom widget-empty-sidebar-popular-bottom ad-unit widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"clear-both widget-header\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<div id=\"kiosq-metered-message\" class=\"kiosq-metered-message-content\"><\/div>\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRules\n<\/li>\n<li>\nDoping\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;Nowhere else would we accept that level of surveillance&#8217; \u2013 As &#8216;clean anxiety&#8217; sweeps the pro peloton, is the anti-doping system in need of reform?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\" data-component-name=\"Article:Hero:KiosqPaywallLabels\">\n<span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><br \/>\nMEMBER EXCLUSIVE<br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kiosq-metered-message-content\">\n<p id=\"kiosq-metered-message\" class=\"kiosq-metered-message\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline font-ui-heading text-[12px]\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div>\n<span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nJames Witts <\/span><br \/>\n<span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-06-23T09:51:10Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n23 June 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Strict liability, the Whereabouts system and the fear of contamination \u2013 Cyclingnews investigates the unseen pressures athletes face to prove they&#8217;re not doping<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit))] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/smzYAM6ZyXxpBk9GXGDqgn.png\" alt=\"Split image of an &amp;#039;Anti Doping Control&amp;#039; sign at the Tour de France and testing equipment - bottles etc - on a table\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full object-center\" data-component-name=\"Image\"><figcaption class=\"font-article-copy text-(--image--text--color) font-article-copy mt-2\"> <span class=\"caption-text font-article-copy\">Pro cyclists face testing in and out of competition<\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"credit font-article-copy\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>    <span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-986e5f7e-6397-4da1-812f-755b0131d8a9\">&#8220;Secrets are poison. They suck the life out of you.&#8221; Tyler Hamilton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.&#8221; Lance Armstrong.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"><\/a><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"><\/aside>\n<p id=\"elk-986e5f7e-6397-4da1-812f-755b0131d8a9-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;This place has been my home. They liked me here. Not anymore. Now they will look the other way. Now I don&#8217;t belong.&#8221; David Millar.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Is doping worth it? To live everyday looking over your shoulder? To enhance performance but diminish character? Cheating equals high anxiety and, of course, little sympathy. The stress-free solution? Don&#8217;t dope. It&#8217;s simple. Or is it?<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">These days, the advanced anti-doping and testing system means athletes face &#8216;strict liability&#8217; for every single substance they consume, vigilance so high that they can&#8217;t even buy vitamin C at a pharmacy, and surveillance that requires them to provide their location at a specific time every single day.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yRHyMUt6EZE9MLsa2o3SVf.jpg\" alt=\"A rider using MyWhoosh indoors \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Dope testing heads indoors: Virtual racers to provide blood and urine samples as MyWhoosh launches first e-sports anti-doping regime<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/C2p2nqZ32qdzuXogCiQiW9.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration featuring data-tracking devices, Pavel Sivakov, and data visuals\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;A geeky area of technology is blowing up into one of cycling&#8217;s trickiest dilemmas&#8217; &#8211; How has rider data become such a controversial conundrum for the sport?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Is adhering to an anti-doping system that monitors you every day of the year, where you&#8217;re guilty until proven innocent, in need of reform for athlete sanity? <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> investigated the system, the rules, and the mental impact they have on riders who are just trying to stay clean, and prove it.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-982013f9-4509-46ed-966f-7ac3ac0eacad\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-contamination-issue-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The contamination issue<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-bdb5a4aa-4717-4644-8654-e2604231c223\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Michael Woods enjoyed a stellar 13-year professional career, primarily for Cannondale (now EF Education-EasyPost) and Israel-PremierTech (now NSN Cycling Team). He won four Grand Tour stages \u2013 one at the Tour de France, three at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a\u2013 and the prestigious one-day race, Milan-Torino. Woods retired from the WorldTour at the end of 2025 but, like many modern-day pros, he soon swapped road for gravel. When we caught up, he&#8217;d just &#8216;won&#8217; the Canadian gravel national championships. Possibly. Extreme heat led to the event being cancelled while riders were still out on the course, meaning Woods&#8217; result was in doubt. Unlike his stance on cheats.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;ll start off by saying that dopers ruin the sport for all of us,&#8221; he says. &#8220;I&#8217;m all for clean sport and forged a career from clean sport. But the anti-doping system, while a necessary burden, is a massive burden. It&#8217;s a huge stress. During my entire career, I guarantee that I never intentionally took a performance-enhancing substance. But I couldn&#8217;t guarantee that I wouldn&#8217;t have tested positive for one.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That&#8217;s not an admission of guilt or Machiavellian Armstrong wordplay \u2013 &#8220;I&#8217;ve been tested 500 times and I&#8217;ve never failed a drug test&#8221; \u2013 but an honest appraisal of a system that can end careers if an athlete&#8217;s urine or blood sample shows traces of one of more than 400 prohibited substances.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">According to WADA&#8217;s (World Anti-Doping Agency) Athletes&#8217; Anti-Doping Rights Act, &#8216;strict liability&#8217; means that the athlete is solely responsible for any &#8220;any banned substance you use, attempt to use or is found in your system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was any intention to cheat&#8221;. In anti-doping, not knowing isn&#8217;t an excuse. You must live pure in an impure world.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cMN2PW8UR8zRDm4M4FwR8T.jpg\" alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar surrounded by athletes from various other sports\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">An illogical calendar, &#8216;crazy&#8217; attitudes towards safety, and an outdated relationship with its fans \u2013 What needs to change for cycling to catch up with other sports?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vYuMPxP5T8JcKDQY3vkQ2c.png\" alt=\"Cat Ferguson riding the British U23 TT Championships in 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">My RED-S experience felt like a constant battle of trying to understand my body and failing, now I know less is more and that life isn&#8217;t all about cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bS7KhGbDtaAB7X2dPh3tXD.jpg\" alt=\"Evan Boyle\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Former USPro Nationals medallist accepts 16-month sanction for Whereabouts Failure<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Unless you live on a farm, isolated from the rest of the world, growing your own food and ensuring no-one touches it, can you guarantee that something isn&#8217;t contaminated?&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;Whenever I took a drugs test, that played on my mind. It&#8217;s stressful and it&#8217;s the same throughout the peloton.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-97a38ae5-4722-40ce-9580-28ff6ced8972\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VM4M2QPGCcSXivCuF93NqY.jpg\" alt=\"ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Michael Woods of Team Canada competes during the 97th UCI Cycling World Championships Zurich 2024, Men&amp;amp;amp;apos;s Elite Road Race a 273.9km one day race from Winterthur to Zurich on September 29, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] full-width\">\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Woods competing for Canada at the 2024 World Championships <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-bf4a2615-38ee-4523-8c8c-2749197fc8eb\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;One of the biggest stressors is that you&#8217;re guilty unless you can prove your innocence. And even if you prove how you ended up consuming contaminated food, by virtue of how the media handles the story and how the sport deals with you, you&#8217;re tainted. I have friends who tested positive but discovered the source of contamination and were exonerated. But the damage to their finances and reputations was irreparable.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;They&#8217;re especially damning in Canada. I&#8217;m proud of the fact that our country is vehemently for anti-doping, but it means any positive test results in you being crucified. Arguably, this goes back to Ben Johnson and what happened in South Korea. We were burnt and embarrassed on an international scale.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">For our younger readers, the muscular Johnson won the 100m men&#8217;s race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in a new world record, before ignominiously leaving the Games and being stripped of gold after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. It was arguably the biggest story in Olympic history. A piece of graffiti in the Olympic village encapsulated the drama: &#8220;Hero to zero in 9.79 secs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-e48b3408-01b5-4faf-9ecc-681772267cfe\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"hormone-fuelled-food-system-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Hormone-fuelled food system<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1264e179-6f35-4f83-b415-407d48c5bd27\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Johnson confessed to doping. Many banned athletes don&#8217;t, blaming their positive test on contamination. In the monochrome world of doping, it&#8217;s seen as a convenient excuse. But the evidence suggests many grey areas.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Take the steroid trenbolone, used in the American food industry to boost the efficiency and yield of meat production. It&#8217;s legal in the USA. But trenbolone is on WADA&#8217;s prohibited list. Maximum residue figures are set for how much trenbolone commonly remains in a slaughtered animal from farm to fork for anti-doping purposes. Several assumptions are made that impact these residue figures, including point of administration. Trenbolone is mixed into a compressed pellet and injected into the back of the cattle&#8217;s ear. The steroid then dissolves into the bloodstream. After around 200 days, the animals are &#8216;harvested&#8217;, whereby the ears are removed to prevent potential contamination.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">If the farmer follows standard practice and an athlete records an anti-doping violation, the contaminated meat excuse is flimsy. But not, many a defendant has argued, if the pellet was misplaced and entered muscles from which rib-eye and loin steaks are cut. Or oxtail. That was the defence of runner Erriyon Knighton, who tested positive for trenbolone in March 2024. An independent arbitrator initially cleared him after accepting that contaminated meat likely caused the result, allowing him to compete at the Paris Olympics where the American finished fourth in the 200m. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled the contamination evidence was insufficient and imposed a four-year ban. Knighton continues to protest his innocence.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Clenbuterol is another WADA-prohibited substance used to increase meat yields, albeit it&#8217;s banned around the world because residues are high enough to cause health issues. Despite that, there&#8217;s a huge black market in many Latin American and South-east Asian countries.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Alberto Contador was handed a two-year ban and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory after testing positive for clenbuterol. The Spaniard&#8217;s contamination defence \u2013 that it was down to eating meat brought across the border from Spain to Pau on the rest day \u2013 didn&#8217;t hold up because the illegal clenbuterol farming practices are rare in Spain, despite Contador passing a lie detector test.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">(As an aside, for my new book <em>Dope<\/em> I interviewed Morten Hostrup, associate professor of physiology at the University of Copenhagen, who&#8217;d recently undertaken human studies on clenbuterol. Hostrup told me it&#8217;s great for muscle building but actually impairs endurance performance because it &#8216;suppresses mitochondrial function&#8217; in the muscle. &#8220;It&#8217;s one reason why the current regulations would have accepted Contador&#8217;s explanation,&#8221; he told me. &#8220;He wouldn&#8217;t have been suspended.&#8221;)<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-4cb9407c-9d0c-4b9a-89ec-bafc82a396c7\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In short, contamination is a very real stressor for professional athletes. &#8220;I raced the Vuelta a Mexico [which last took place in 2015 but is scheduled for a return in 2027] and the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China and basically you eat rice and eggs,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;You have to be hyper-vigilant and it&#8217;s an extra stressor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-b7ce93d4-01b5-4a2f-9ea1-5187db7bd4dd\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"supplementary-pressures-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Supplementary pressures<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-b2714a66-930a-4f78-8f4b-2d875bc5be08\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s the same with supplements. According to a 2025 survey by Sport Integrity Australia, one in three sport supplements \u2013 around 35 per cent of 200 samples \u2013 bought online contained at least one substance prohibited by WADA. Why is down to two reasons: accidental (the equipment wasn&#8217;t cleaned thoroughly) and intentional (the manufacturer purposely added a prohibited performance-enhancer to crank up its effectiveness and have the athlete coming back for more).<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">WADA recommends athletes take supplements that are third-party tested. These products will feature the testing company&#8217;s respective logos, and include NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice and Informed Sport.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;You couldn&#8217;t take anything not approved by the team,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;It makes sense, but if you&#8217;re feeling under the weather and want to buy vitamin C, you can&#8217;t go to the pharmacy and be an adult. You have to report to mom and dad and ask if it&#8217;s OK. It&#8217;s for the right reasons, but it becomes crazy. You lose any autonomy and it&#8217;s something you&#8217;re constantly thinking about.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;When I first started competing, I was proud of making sure I was doing everything right,&#8221; Woods adds. &#8220;Come the end of my road career, I&#8217;d been on some form of anti-doping programme for nearly 15 years. After all that time, you start to think, \u2018Fuck this. I am so over it!'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Or I&#8217;m not just over this, but I&#8217;m over life, in the case of former British cyclist Lizzy Banks, whose contamination case left her battling suicidal thoughts. In July 2023, Banks tested positive for traces of the banned diuretic chlortalidone. April 2024, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) cleared Banks, accepting that contamination likely stemmed from a tablet she took for asthma. June 2024, WADA appealed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, ruling that she&#8217;d failed to prove the source of the contamination despite overwhelming scientific and contextual evidence and so banned her for two years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"instagram-embed kiosq-b\" id=\"elk-DNPnzS_o5hf\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version=\"6\">\n<p>A post shared by Lizzy Banks (@elizzybanks)<\/p>\n<p>A photo posted by on <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-eff273ff-52de-4936-aa3a-740a733c895b\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;This case demonstrates the high bar set by the application of the &#8216;strict liability&#8217; principle,&#8221; UKAD pronounced, &#8220;and the challenges in identifying and establishing unintentional violations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The &#8216;will they, won&#8217;t they?&#8217; sanction left Banks in turmoil.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure yet whether I regret having carried on the fight,&#8221; she wrote at the time. &#8220;I&#8217;m so empty right now that I barely know what I feel anymore. But this is what they do to people like me. They crush us. They expect that we will just walk away and they will never have any consequences. But there must be consequences.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Banks proposed a series of anti-doping changes to protect athlete welfare including easing the burden of proof \u2013 that athletes shouldn&#8217;t be required to provide the exact source of contamination when strong scientific evidence shows the substance level is incompatible with intentional use. She sees the current system as creating prolonged uncertainty and psychological harm.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-524d913d-6e56-435e-b1ee-a59d55bf63be\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whereabouts-is-the-welfare-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Whereabouts is the welfare?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-47b81500-b2ed-49d7-8de4-766c40c64da7\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">As do a dozen professional tennis players, including Nick Kyrgios, who in January 2025 filed a legal case against tennis federations and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for a complete disregard of athlete well-being when enforcing anti-doping policing.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The case came off the back of doping allegations against the men&#8217;s world number one, Jannik Sinner, who twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol. WADA accepted the Italian&#8217;s story that he didn&#8217;t cheat and exposure came via his fitness coach&#8217;s massage cream. Both parties agreed to a three-month ban that some felt conveniently expired before the second Major of the year, the French Open. The civil class-action cited his preferential treatment due to potential financial implications and access to superior legal representation.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">A team of academics \u2013 including Alex Smith, senior researcher at Bern University in Switzerland \u2013 examined the complaint in a paper entitled, &#8216;Coercive compliance? Anti-doping systems in tennis and athlete mental health.&#8217; It&#8217;s a fascinating read and draws attention to the need for fairness when enforcing anti-doping policy.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The focus of most anti-doping bodies remains firmly on detection and deterrence, which is understandable, but the inadvertent psychological implications of compliance sits largely outside that frame,&#8221; co-author Smith tells us. &#8220;Research has documented what some call \u2018clean anxiety&#8217; among athletes, which is a persistent fear of inadvertent rule violations and the reputational damage that would follow.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;For younger athletes who are still developing, that could be particularly problematic. They&#8217;re trying to establish themselves in elite sport, managing uncertain incomes, unpredictable travel, sometimes young families, and on top of all that they carry this background fear of making an administrative error that carries the same punishment as failing a drugs test.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">For administrative error, read the Whereabouts system. This is a requirement in any sport signed up to the WADA Code and allows anti-doping authorities to conduct unannounced drug tests on athletes between 6am and 11pm (and, in some cases like targeted testing, also between 11pm and 6am) on any day of the year. Athletes must update their ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration Management System) to give a specific 60-minute time slot each day when they guarantee they&#8217;ll be available for testing. You can update it any time before that 60-minute time slot begins. If you miss three tests within a 12-month period, you&#8217;re banned.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-3c3f1497-1c18-4bd6-8f5a-770cf489a553\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KCGequQd6vLdQ3KNEuuuLU.jpg\" alt=\"during the Women&amp;#039;s Road Race on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Fort Copacabana on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] full-width\">\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Lizzie Deignan narrowly avoided a ban after missing tests in the run-up to the Olympics in Rio <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-a970ed19-82c1-4518-8926-6a981c4e23d5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Athletes have described the constant need to remain organised, available and compliant, particularly during periods of travel, family commitments, illness or other major life stressors,&#8221; says Smith. &#8220;The concern is often less about being monitored and more about the possibility of making an administrative mistake that could carry significant professional consequences. In that respect, the psychological burden may be less visible than other stressors in elite sport, but it does remain present in the background of athletes&#8217; lives.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Smith stresses that the integrity of anti-doping testing is vitally important and out-of-competition testing is an effective tool. &#8220;However, athletes are required to disclose their whereabouts around the clock, submit to surprise testing and provide highly sensitive health data, including biometric identifiers and medical information,&#8221; he says. &#8220;Nowhere else in a democratic society would we accept that level of surveillance as a condition of employment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That&#8217;s the academic viewpoint. What about the athletic one? &#8220;Of course, out-of-competition testing and monitoring is important,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;Dick Pound [former president of WADA] had a great saying that if you fail in competition, you&#8217;ve failed two tests: the doping control test and the IQ test!<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;So, things like the Whereabouts system are useful but I&#8217;d actually have preferred a tracking device, especially in the off-season when you&#8217;re looking to switch off from cycling mode. That&#8217;s when your plans tend to change. You might head to your mate&#8217;s for a couple of drinks and the last thing you&#8217;re thinking of is logging into your phone to change the address on ADAMS. You then awake the next morning and panic that if the doping officer visited, you&#8217;ve messed up.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Thankfully, I was pretty diligent and only had one out-of-competition miss, which I contested because the tester made fundamental errors and it was removed. The area \u2013 Andorra, where I was living \u2013 was unfamiliar to them and they went to the wrong building. But it was stressful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Woods says he has friends who missed three tests in the 12-month period but fought the last one and won. &#8220;And I know others who missed three and were banned.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-8a60a880-6941-47b0-91a1-ab68ba18d1d5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"punished-for-neurology-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Punished for neurology <\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1b03d8ed-bea6-486d-897b-a71957b5d5cd\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Further pressure arises from the therapeutic usage exemption (TUE) system, which allows prohibited substances to be used for medical reasons. It&#8217;s supposed to be performance-enabling rather than enhancing, though is perceived to be widely abused.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The burden arises from the additional documentation and evidentiary requirements imposed by the anti-doping framework,&#8221; says Smith. &#8220;For conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it&#8217;s a challenge. Many cyclists take medication for ADHD, which is on the prohibited list, but the process of sorting a TUE is extremely involved. That&#8217;s not great for a disorder associated with forgetfulness and disorganisation. You&#8217;re almost punishing someone for having the disorder, which means many might not bother taking the medication to avoid form-filling. If you&#8217;re in the middle of a peloton and you&#8217;ve got a disorder that&#8217;s linked to hyperactivity and impulsivity, that has clear implications for you and your fellow riders.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;That&#8217;s me,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never been officially diagnosed but I was almost held back a grade and repeatedly told I had &#8216;attention issues&#8217;. If I was younger, I&#8217;m confident I&#8217;d have been diagnosed with ADHD at school. Keeping on top of these forms and apps is a real issue and can kill careers. Miss tests and teams won&#8217;t sign you. Sponsors won&#8217;t sponsor you. You can&#8217;t race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Smith says British Cycling has delivered TUE courses specifically aimed at riders with ADHD, but suggests all levels of elite athletes should be better supported, as they can face considerable costs simply to demonstrate eligibility for a treatment that&#8217;s medically needed. More broadly, he says that greater focus must centre on the daily strain of adhering to anti-doping policy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"elk-f15b86ed-f9d9-4f17-b893-afd793c55f1c\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\n<blockquote class=\"vanilla-quoteblock\">\n<p>A welfare check-in, delivered through the existing infrastructure, would catch athletes who are struggling before they reach crisis point.<\/p><figcaption><cite>Alex Smith<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-782a7e59-fa1a-4ad5-af1b-f64b0a8cce5c\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The argument is always that athletes consent to it, but that consent is functionally coerced,&#8221; he says. &#8220;An athlete who refuses compliance faces immediate exclusion from international competition. The balance shifts when you build genuine welfare support into the framework. Right now, the obligations are clearly defined and the consequences of failure are clearly defined, but the psychological support available to athletes navigating that system remains largely absent. We believe that you can uphold rigorous testing and provide mental health resources.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;We&#8217;d suggest introducing mandatory welfare assessments as part of the anti-doping relationship as standard practice for any athlete in a registered testing pool,&#8221; Smith continues. &#8220;Right now, the system is entirely focussed on compliance. There&#8217;s no touchpoint where anyone asks how an athlete is actually doing. A welfare check-in, delivered through the existing infrastructure, would catch athletes who are struggling before they reach crisis point, and it would send a signal that anti-doping organisations view athletes as people with lives and health needs rather than just samples to be collected.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">This humanising of the anti-doping system is picked up on by those dozen tennis players, who contested the ITIA policy of &#8220;requiring players selected for drug testing to shower under direct observation if they choose to wash before providing a sample&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Woods echoes the indignity. &#8220;I&#8217;ve had testers come straight after my morning coffee. Let&#8217;s just say I&#8217;m regular after that first caffeine hit. The chaperone can&#8217;t take their eyes off you once you&#8217;ve opened the door, so I&#8217;ve had times when I&#8217;ve taken a shit staring eyeball to eyeball with a tester. I get it because there are cases in the past of athletes passing off clean samples by using a prosthetic penis. But you don&#8217;t want it, the tester certainly doesn&#8217;t want it. I must admit, you do sit there thinking fuck the dopers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Anti-doping remains essential. Few athletes and researchers would argue otherwise. Yet as sport pursues cheats with ever greater vigilance, it must also consider the cost borne by those playing by the rules. For every doper trying to evade detection, thousands of clean athletes are navigating surveillance, suspicion and the fear of inadvertent error. Protecting sport&#8217;s integrity matters. Protecting the well-being of the people who uphold it matters, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"kiosq-app-paywall-js\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"this-will-be-used-for-mpu-2\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-2bdx2WGvEoZrjoUph9fbkW\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-2bdx2WGvEoZrjoUph9fbkW slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">James Witts<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__social\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div id=\"viafoura-comments\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative max-w-[1070px] viafoura-twig-component mt-6 mx-4 lg:mx-0\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class=&apos;vfcustom-community-guidelines&apos;&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"relative h-(--truncate-height) sm:h-(--truncate-desktop-height) overflow-hidden transition-[height] duration-150\" data-test-id=\"container\" data-component-name=\"Util:Truncate\" id=\"viafoura-comments-container\">\n<div class=\"relative z-10 viafoura rounded-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\" id=\"viafoura-comment-wrapper\" data-test-id=\"content\">\n<div class=\"viafoura\">\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"absolute bg-gradient-to-t from-[var(--truncate-gradient-color,white)] from-50% h-28 z-20 w-full bottom-0 flex items-end justify-center px-0 rounded-none\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1 rounded-b-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-lg!\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-sm!\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yRHyMUt6EZE9MLsa2o3SVf.jpg\" alt=\"A rider using MyWhoosh indoors \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Dope testing heads indoors: Virtual racers to provide blood and urine samples as MyWhoosh launches first e-sports anti-doping regime<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/C2p2nqZ32qdzuXogCiQiW9.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration featuring data-tracking devices, Pavel Sivakov, and data visuals\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;A geeky area of technology is blowing up into one of cycling&#8217;s trickiest dilemmas&#8217; &#8211; How has rider data become such a controversial conundrum for the sport?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cMN2PW8UR8zRDm4M4FwR8T.jpg\" alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar surrounded by athletes from various other sports\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">An illogical calendar, &#8216;crazy&#8217; attitudes towards safety, and an outdated relationship with its fans \u2013 What needs to change for cycling to catch up with other sports?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vYuMPxP5T8JcKDQY3vkQ2c.png\" alt=\"Cat Ferguson riding the British U23 TT Championships in 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">My RED-S experience felt like a constant battle of trying to understand my body and failing, now I know less is more and that life isn&#8217;t all about cycling<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bS7KhGbDtaAB7X2dPh3tXD.jpg\" alt=\"Evan Boyle\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Former USPro Nationals medallist accepts 16-month sanction for Whereabouts Failure<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/d6ggy29CWaGPhrnARtfmCj.jpg\" alt=\"Dutch Jan-Willem van Schip pictured during the team presentation ahead of the Baloise Belgium Tour cycling race, in Merelbeke, Tuesday 14 June 2022. The Baloise Belgium Tour takes place from 15 to 19 June. BELGA PHOTO DAVID STOCKMAN (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN \/ BELGA MAG \/ Belga via AFP) (Photo by DAVID STOCKMAN\/BELGA MAG\/AFP via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;The situation is becoming a bit untenable&#8217; \u2013 Jan-Willem van Schip&#8217;s team manager says fines for repeated disqualifications are &#8216;unsustainable&#8217;<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/BQ4X8ptLLkEgbvgMKAHyu8.jpg\" alt=\"Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio of South Africa and Team AG Insurance - Soudal competes during the 12th La Vuelta Femenina 2026\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;It was not intentional; there&#8217;s absolutely no doubt in my mind&#8217; &#8211; Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio on Lorena Wiebes&#8217; disqualification and the UCI minimum weight limit<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ocR6MkHYzyLQmQ6E5xo7yM.jpg\" alt=\"Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) celebrates in the maglia rosa after winning the opening stage, taking the lead at the 2026 Giro d&amp;#039;Italia Women in Ravenna, Italy. (Photo by Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Rules<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Lorena Wiebes&#8217; bike weight disqualification: How did it happen, what happens next, and who&#8217;s to blame? Here&#8217;s everything we know<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SbgTNo3DmRRG8no6iYHSE8.jpg\" alt=\"Elite riders march through the mud as they approach an paved intersection on the Unbound Gravel 200 course, with media present in the area\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I would trade all the prize money for safety&#8217; \u2013 Top gravel pros voice concerns about mayhem with media vehicles, intersections and feed zones<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8MsDaNHbjaSvZpTZSBHPg8.jpg\" alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar surrounded by sports stars from soccer, american football, tennis, F1, ice hockey and basketball \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A billion-dollar business soon to be a relic? What pro cycling can learn from the blueprints of F1 and soccer<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JgqRCpzdcZeU5cmG9LUFhk.png\" alt=\"Collage of images including a Tour Down Under team convoy, British track cyclist, and Tour de France-themed aeroplane\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From electric convoys to fossil fuel sponsors: How seriously is cycling taking sustainability?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Doping<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yRHyMUt6EZE9MLsa2o3SVf.jpg\" alt=\"A rider using MyWhoosh indoors \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Dope testing heads indoors: Virtual racers to provide blood and urine samples as MyWhoosh launches first e-sports anti-doping regime<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bS7KhGbDtaAB7X2dPh3tXD.jpg\" alt=\"Evan Boyle\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Former USPro Nationals medallist accepts 16-month sanction for Whereabouts Failure<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/6z9KBy9AEW5mTgc9gjtLbV.jpg\" alt=\"B\u00e1lint Makrai in action at the 2025 Memorial Marco Pantani\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">19-year-old Hungarian racer provisionally suspended following anabolic steroid positive<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/GxxFuugkKDWfxEYAKmm56a.jpg\" alt=\"DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - FEBRUARY 06: Linda Laporta of Italy and Team BePink - Imatra - Bongioanni attacks during the 3rd UAE Tour Women, Stage 1 a 149km stage from Dubai Police Officer&amp;amp;apos;s Club to Dubai Harbour \/ #UCIWWT \/ on February 06, 2025 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Italian racer provisionally suspended following Enobosarm positive at UAE Tour Women<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/EoBR7MDFwFVSm7YLWnWZM.jpg\" alt=\"TAVIRA, PORTUGAL - MAY 07: Venceslau Fernandes of Portugal and Team Antarte - Feirense during the 47th Volta Ao Algarve 2021, Stage 3 a 203,1km stage from Faro to Tavira \/ @VoltAlgarve \/ #VAlgarve2021 \/ on May 07, 2021 in Tavira, Portugal. (Photo by Luc Claessen\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Portuguese team handed racing suspension following multiple doping cases within the same year<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/p3BLMMaQZsY9B7M9sYBP3Q.jpg\" alt=\"EL ONCE - ALTO VERJ\u00d3N, COLOMBIA - FEBRUARY 16: Start \/ Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo of Colombia and Team Medellin Blue Mountain Jersey \/ during the 3rd Tour of Colombia 2020, Stage 6 a 182,6km stage from Zipaquir\u00e1 to El Once - Alto Verj\u00f3n 3290m \/ @TourColombiaUCI \/ #TourColombia2020 \/ on February 16, 2020 in El Once - Alto Verj\u00f3n, Colombia. (Photo by Maximiliano Blanco\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Colombian team handed 30-day racing ban following two doping cases in 2025<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wEmEimUDYpMUHGokK4FGTe.jpg\" alt=\"ALULA - CAMEL CUP TRACK, SAUDI ARABIA - JANUARY 27: Sean Christian of United States and Team Modern Adventure Pro Cycling competes during the 6th AlUla Tour 2026, Stage 1 a 158km stage from AlUla Camel Cup Track to AlUla Camel Cup Track on January 27, 2026 in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Modern Adventure provisionally admitted to anti-doping group MPCC after &#8216;additional due diligence&#8217; over doping pasts of team management<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/aW3pDVbMp8fh7dF9jGvC4N.jpg\" alt=\"Martha Bayona\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Colombian track star receives 18-month ban from UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal over three whereabouts failures in less than a year<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CafLz5fFBMbXoxNStnF77S.jpg\" alt=\"Germ\u00e1n Dar\u00edo G\u00f3mez during a 2025 race\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Polti VisitMalta rider provisionally suspended by UCI and team after adverse finding in anti-doping test<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/nj4nEoFrStjggGmsKGTTXD.png\" alt=\"FRANCE - JULY 18: TOUR DE FRANCE 1998; Ausschluss des FESTINA TEAMS wegen DOPING Verdachts; Richard VIRENQUE\/FRA - FESTINA TEAM FAHRER - (Photo by Andreas Rentz\/Bongarts\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From suspended prison sentences to reality TV &#8211; What happened to Festina&#8217;s infamous 1998 Tour de France team after the affair that &#8216;almost killed French cycling&#8217;?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VmpJoqZWMFDrQ8caFjw4MZ.jpg\" alt=\"Ben Healy in one of his last races of 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;In any sport I think it&#8217;s impossible to go: Oh yeah, the sport is 100% clean&#8217; \u2013 2025 Tour de France leader Ben Healy points out potential upper limit of anti-doping measures <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/8k6SXbb6jL6DZSJxhYFt73.jpg\" alt=\"Belgian Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step pictured after stage 17 of the 2024 Tour de France cycling race, from Saint-Paul-Trois-Ch\u00e2teaux to Superdevoluy (177,8 km), in France, on Wednesday 17 July 2024. The 111th edition of the Tour de France starts on Saturday 29 June and will finish in Nice, France on 21 July. BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS (Photo by DAVID PINTENS \/ BELGA MAG \/ Belga via AFP)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Doping<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Anti-doping group MPCC calls on UCI to &#8216;stop the escalating medicalisation of the sport,&#8217; citing ketones and Tapendatol use<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Features<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/rh92PYzpUFcZqJj6HdxmCc.png\" alt=\"WAREGEM, BELGIUM - APRIL 01: (L-R) Race winner Marlen Reusser of Switzerland and Team Movistar, Lieke Nooijen of Netherlands and Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Demi Vollering of Netherlands and Team FDJ United - SUEZ sprint at finish line during the 14th Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026 - Women&amp;#039;s Elite a 128.8km one day race from Waregem to Waregem \/ #UCIWWT \/ on April 01, 2026 in Waregem, Belgium. (Photo by Billy Ceusters\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Pr\u00e9vot at the Tour de France Femmes \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/DCs8vAeEcyYK4biYWhQxET.png\" alt=\"Luke Tuckwell\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How moving to Europe as a 17-year-old changed my life \u2013 Luke Tuckwell&#8217;s rapid rise to the pro ranks, in his own words<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Av6vwm2k94B2FtcNww6iFd.jpg\" alt=\"Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert during the 2025 Tour de France\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">How do you replace Wout van Aert at the Tour de France? Analysing who could fill the void in Visma&#8217;s supporting cast for Jonas Vingegaard<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9MbG9GdU3mvWprkKgLmHo8.png\" alt=\"Wout van Aert waves to the crowd from stage of Tour de France presentation, Jonas Vingegaard is next to him\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Wout van Aert missing the Tour de France is a huge loss for Jonas Vingegaard, and the race itself<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Pro Cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/czKQzkxAxVNaJrMLg2MYYW.jpg\" alt=\"Stooge Rambler\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Bikes<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Early access: Cyclingnews subscribers can watch our Stooge Rambler review before anyone else<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JMw3Kp2CE4BeKXbeADJszj.jpg\" alt=\"Orbea Oiz 2026 MTB\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Mountain Bikes<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Updated Orbea Oiz keeps Orbea at the top of the XC MTB game<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LtS4bcjAdUZx9pd4bQry8G.jpg\" alt=\"ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 20: Jay Vine of Australia and UAE Team Emirates - XRG competes during the 26th Santos Tour Down Under 2026 - Prologue a 3.6km individual time trial stage from Adelaide to Adelaide \/ #UCIWT \/ on January 20, 2026 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Con Chronis\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">2026 Road National Champions index<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Eou6PBjz4ofE4cJbQSp7n8.jpg\" alt=\"Luke Tuckwell, Isaac del Toro, and Juan Ayuso on the final podium of the 2026 Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">There were winners and losers at the Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes, but mainly losers \u2013 including anyone hoping for a ramp-up in Tour de France tension<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Tyz3yibsnQmf4ub7JimxgW.jpg\" alt=\"BEAUFORT, FRANCE - JUNE 14: Paul Seixas of France and Team Decathlon CMA CGM meets the media press prior to the 78th Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes 2026, Stage 8 a 120.1km stage from Beaufort to Plateau de Solaison - Brison 1497m \/ #UCIWT \/ on June 14, 2026 in Beaufort, France. (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">From glory to futility \u2013 What version of Paul Seixas will rise from the ashes of his torched Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SbgTNo3DmRRG8no6iYHSE8.jpg\" alt=\"Elite riders march through the mud as they approach an paved intersection on the Unbound Gravel 200 course, with media present in the area\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I would trade all the prize money for safety&#8217; \u2013 Top gravel pros voice concerns about mayhem with media vehicles, intersections and feed zones<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[var(--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9)] relative mb-3.5\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xcRHnx9R4ss9w7pJwVVKiV.jpg\" alt=\"Baudin in yellow and Vauquelin in the white jersey stand on the start line talking\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] object-cover w-full h-full\"><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                                                                <span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                            <span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Ineos with leadership issues, Seixas and Del Toro with ground to make up \u2013 GC analysis ahead of mountain triple-header in Tour Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"related-articles-block\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"ads\" id=\"ads-middle-1\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-ads widget-ads-middle-1 widget-ads-ads-middle-1 widget-no-data widget-ads-flexi_ads_middle1\">\n<div id=\"bdx_flexi_ads_middle1\" data-type=\"ads\" data-ads-type=\"bordeaux\" class=\"flexi_ads_middle1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar widget-empty-sidebar widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar-top\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar-top widget-empty-sidebar-top ad-unit widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"follow-us-on-google-news\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-follow-us-on-google-news widget-contentparsed-follow-us-on-google-news widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-curated \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar-popular-top\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar-popular-top widget-empty-sidebar-popular-top ad-unit widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"clear-both widget-header\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/eThUTVN6sKvxM6Wv3dqFmg.jpg\" alt=\"Paul Seixas (L) and Isaac Del Toro Romero speak at the start line before the 8th and final stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes\" class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;I put him up there alongside Jonas Vingegaard&#8217; \u2013 UAE Team Emirates manager praises Paul Seixas before Tour de France showdown<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;It&#8217;s a catastrophe&#8217; \u2013 emergency services called after major fire affects famous Paris-Roubaix restaurant<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Sometimes it seems the harder things get, the more fun I find it&#8217; \u2013 Demi Vollering reflects on back-to-the-wall Giro d&#8217;Italia victory<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Nowhere else would we accept that level of surveillance&#8217; \u2013 As &#8216;clean anxiety&#8217; sweeps the pro peloton, is the anti-doping system in need of reform?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">The Continental GP5000 S TR is proven to be the best road tyre, and it&#8217;s currently discounted by up to 38% for Amazon Prime Day<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"empty\" id=\"sidebar-popular-bottom\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-empty widget-sidebar-popular-bottom widget-empty-sidebar-popular-bottom ad-unit widget-no-data widget-empty\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<div id=\"kiosq-metered-message\" class=\"kiosq-metered-message-content\"><\/div>\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nRules\n<\/li>\n<li>\nDoping\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>&#8216;Nowhere else would we accept that level of surveillance&#8217; \u2013 As &#8216;clean anxiety&#8217; sweeps the pro peloton, is the anti-doping system in need of reform?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\" data-component-name=\"Article:Hero:KiosqPaywallLabels\">\n<span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><br \/>\nMEMBER EXCLUSIVE<br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kiosq-metered-message-content\">\n<p id=\"kiosq-metered-message\" class=\"kiosq-metered-message\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline font-ui-heading text-[12px]\">\nFeatures<\/p>\n<div>\n<span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nJames Witts <\/span><br \/>\n<span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-06-23T09:51:10Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n23 June 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><br \/>\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Strict liability, the Whereabouts system and the fear of contamination \u2013 Cyclingnews investigates the unseen pressures athletes face to prove they&#8217;re not doping<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit))] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>    <span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-986e5f7e-6397-4da1-812f-755b0131d8a9\">&#8220;Secrets are poison. They suck the life out of you.&#8221; Tyler Hamilton.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.&#8221; Lance Armstrong.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"><\/a><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"><\/aside>\n<p id=\"elk-986e5f7e-6397-4da1-812f-755b0131d8a9-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;This place has been my home. They liked me here. Not anymore. Now they will look the other way. Now I don&#8217;t belong.&#8221; David Millar.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Is doping worth it? To live everyday looking over your shoulder? To enhance performance but diminish character? Cheating equals high anxiety and, of course, little sympathy. The stress-free solution? Don&#8217;t dope. It&#8217;s simple. Or is it?<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">These days, the advanced anti-doping and testing system means athletes face &#8216;strict liability&#8217; for every single substance they consume, vigilance so high that they can&#8217;t even buy vitamin C at a pharmacy, and surveillance that requires them to provide their location at a specific time every single day.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yRHyMUt6EZE9MLsa2o3SVf.jpg\" alt=\"A rider using MyWhoosh indoors \" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Dope testing heads indoors: Virtual racers to provide blood and urine samples as MyWhoosh launches first e-sports anti-doping regime<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/C2p2nqZ32qdzuXogCiQiW9.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration featuring data-tracking devices, Pavel Sivakov, and data visuals\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">&#8216;A geeky area of technology is blowing up into one of cycling&#8217;s trickiest dilemmas&#8217; &#8211; How has rider data become such a controversial conundrum for the sport?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yprDK5GCtNmciBsAoWqjPU.png\" alt=\"Cyclists on a road cycling during a blue sky summer day around the volcanic landscape of El Teide Volcano and National Park (Photo by Nicolas Economou\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Is adhering to an anti-doping system that monitors you every day of the year, where you&#8217;re guilty until proven innocent, in need of reform for athlete sanity? <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> investigated the system, the rules, and the mental impact they have on riders who are just trying to stay clean, and prove it.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-982013f9-4509-46ed-966f-7ac3ac0eacad\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-contamination-issue-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The contamination issue<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-bdb5a4aa-4717-4644-8654-e2604231c223\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Michael Woods enjoyed a stellar 13-year professional career, primarily for Cannondale (now EF Education-EasyPost) and Israel-PremierTech (now NSN Cycling Team). He won four Grand Tour stages \u2013 one at the Tour de France, three at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a\u2013 and the prestigious one-day race, Milan-Torino. Woods retired from the WorldTour at the end of 2025 but, like many modern-day pros, he soon swapped road for gravel. When we caught up, he&#8217;d just &#8216;won&#8217; the Canadian gravel national championships. Possibly. Extreme heat led to the event being cancelled while riders were still out on the course, meaning Woods&#8217; result was in doubt. Unlike his stance on cheats.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;ll start off by saying that dopers ruin the sport for all of us,&#8221; he says. &#8220;I&#8217;m all for clean sport and forged a career from clean sport. But the anti-doping system, while a necessary burden, is a massive burden. It&#8217;s a huge stress. During my entire career, I guarantee that I never intentionally took a performance-enhancing substance. But I couldn&#8217;t guarantee that I wouldn&#8217;t have tested positive for one.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That&#8217;s not an admission of guilt or Machiavellian Armstrong wordplay \u2013 &#8220;I&#8217;ve been tested 500 times and I&#8217;ve never failed a drug test&#8221; \u2013 but an honest appraisal of a system that can end careers if an athlete&#8217;s urine or blood sample shows traces of one of more than 400 prohibited substances.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">According to WADA&#8217;s (World Anti-Doping Agency) Athletes&#8217; Anti-Doping Rights Act, &#8216;strict liability&#8217; means that the athlete is solely responsible for any &#8220;any banned substance you use, attempt to use or is found in your system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was any intention to cheat&#8221;. In anti-doping, not knowing isn&#8217;t an excuse. You must live pure in an impure world.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[&apos;&apos;] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[&apos;&apos;] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0 max-w-full\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-1\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/cMN2PW8UR8zRDm4M4FwR8T.jpg\" alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar surrounded by athletes from various other sports\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">An illogical calendar, &#8216;crazy&#8217; attitudes towards safety, and an outdated relationship with its fans \u2013 What needs to change for cycling to catch up with other sports?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-2\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vYuMPxP5T8JcKDQY3vkQ2c.png\" alt=\"Cat Ferguson riding the British U23 TT Championships in 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">My RED-S experience felt like a constant battle of trying to understand my body and failing, now I know less is more and that life isn&#8217;t all about cycling<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" id=\"recirculation-inline-2-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-2-inline-3\">\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/bS7KhGbDtaAB7X2dPh3tXD.jpg\" alt=\"Evan Boyle\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] aspect-square size-[75px] object-cover shrink-0 rounded-lg\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <span class=\"w-full text-base font-[var(--article-river-item--font-weight,500)] font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2\">Former USPro Nationals medallist accepts 16-month sanction for Whereabouts Failure<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Unless you live on a farm, isolated from the rest of the world, growing your own food and ensuring no-one touches it, can you guarantee that something isn&#8217;t contaminated?&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;Whenever I took a drugs test, that played on my mind. It&#8217;s stressful and it&#8217;s the same throughout the peloton.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-97a38ae5-4722-40ce-9580-28ff6ced8972\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/VM4M2QPGCcSXivCuF93NqY.jpg\" alt=\"ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Michael Woods of Team Canada competes during the 97th UCI Cycling World Championships Zurich 2024, Men&amp;amp;amp;apos;s Elite Road Race a 273.9km one day race from Winterthur to Zurich on September 29, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] full-width\">\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Woods competing for Canada at the 2024 World Championships <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-bf4a2615-38ee-4523-8c8c-2749197fc8eb\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;One of the biggest stressors is that you&#8217;re guilty unless you can prove your innocence. And even if you prove how you ended up consuming contaminated food, by virtue of how the media handles the story and how the sport deals with you, you&#8217;re tainted. I have friends who tested positive but discovered the source of contamination and were exonerated. But the damage to their finances and reputations was irreparable.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;They&#8217;re especially damning in Canada. I&#8217;m proud of the fact that our country is vehemently for anti-doping, but it means any positive test results in you being crucified. Arguably, this goes back to Ben Johnson and what happened in South Korea. We were burnt and embarrassed on an international scale.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">For our younger readers, the muscular Johnson won the 100m men&#8217;s race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in a new world record, before ignominiously leaving the Games and being stripped of gold after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol. It was arguably the biggest story in Olympic history. A piece of graffiti in the Olympic village encapsulated the drama: &#8220;Hero to zero in 9.79 secs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-e48b3408-01b5-4faf-9ecc-681772267cfe\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"hormone-fuelled-food-system-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Hormone-fuelled food system<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1264e179-6f35-4f83-b415-407d48c5bd27\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Johnson confessed to doping. Many banned athletes don&#8217;t, blaming their positive test on contamination. In the monochrome world of doping, it&#8217;s seen as a convenient excuse. But the evidence suggests many grey areas.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Take the steroid trenbolone, used in the American food industry to boost the efficiency and yield of meat production. It&#8217;s legal in the USA. But trenbolone is on WADA&#8217;s prohibited list. Maximum residue figures are set for how much trenbolone commonly remains in a slaughtered animal from farm to fork for anti-doping purposes. Several assumptions are made that impact these residue figures, including point of administration. Trenbolone is mixed into a compressed pellet and injected into the back of the cattle&#8217;s ear. The steroid then dissolves into the bloodstream. After around 200 days, the animals are &#8216;harvested&#8217;, whereby the ears are removed to prevent potential contamination.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">If the farmer follows standard practice and an athlete records an anti-doping violation, the contaminated meat excuse is flimsy. But not, many a defendant has argued, if the pellet was misplaced and entered muscles from which rib-eye and loin steaks are cut. Or oxtail. That was the defence of runner Erriyon Knighton, who tested positive for trenbolone in March 2024. An independent arbitrator initially cleared him after accepting that contaminated meat likely caused the result, allowing him to compete at the Paris Olympics where the American finished fourth in the 200m. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled the contamination evidence was insufficient and imposed a four-year ban. Knighton continues to protest his innocence.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Clenbuterol is another WADA-prohibited substance used to increase meat yields, albeit it&#8217;s banned around the world because residues are high enough to cause health issues. Despite that, there&#8217;s a huge black market in many Latin American and South-east Asian countries.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Alberto Contador was handed a two-year ban and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France victory after testing positive for clenbuterol. The Spaniard&#8217;s contamination defence \u2013 that it was down to eating meat brought across the border from Spain to Pau on the rest day \u2013 didn&#8217;t hold up because the illegal clenbuterol farming practices are rare in Spain, despite Contador passing a lie detector test.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">(As an aside, for my new book <em>Dope<\/em> I interviewed Morten Hostrup, associate professor of physiology at the University of Copenhagen, who&#8217;d recently undertaken human studies on clenbuterol. Hostrup told me it&#8217;s great for muscle building but actually impairs endurance performance because it &#8216;suppresses mitochondrial function&#8217; in the muscle. &#8220;It&#8217;s one reason why the current regulations would have accepted Contador&#8217;s explanation,&#8221; he told me. &#8220;He wouldn&#8217;t have been suspended.&#8221;)<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-4cb9407c-9d0c-4b9a-89ec-bafc82a396c7\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In short, contamination is a very real stressor for professional athletes. &#8220;I raced the Vuelta a Mexico [which last took place in 2015 but is scheduled for a return in 2027] and the Tour of Qinghai Lake in China and basically you eat rice and eggs,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;You have to be hyper-vigilant and it&#8217;s an extra stressor.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-b7ce93d4-01b5-4a2f-9ea1-5187db7bd4dd\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"supplementary-pressures-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Supplementary pressures<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-b2714a66-930a-4f78-8f4b-2d875bc5be08\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s the same with supplements. According to a 2025 survey by Sport Integrity Australia, one in three sport supplements \u2013 around 35 per cent of 200 samples \u2013 bought online contained at least one substance prohibited by WADA. Why is down to two reasons: accidental (the equipment wasn&#8217;t cleaned thoroughly) and intentional (the manufacturer purposely added a prohibited performance-enhancer to crank up its effectiveness and have the athlete coming back for more).<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">WADA recommends athletes take supplements that are third-party tested. These products will feature the testing company&#8217;s respective logos, and include NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice and Informed Sport.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;You couldn&#8217;t take anything not approved by the team,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;It makes sense, but if you&#8217;re feeling under the weather and want to buy vitamin C, you can&#8217;t go to the pharmacy and be an adult. You have to report to mom and dad and ask if it&#8217;s OK. It&#8217;s for the right reasons, but it becomes crazy. You lose any autonomy and it&#8217;s something you&#8217;re constantly thinking about.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;When I first started competing, I was proud of making sure I was doing everything right,&#8221; Woods adds. &#8220;Come the end of my road career, I&#8217;d been on some form of anti-doping programme for nearly 15 years. After all that time, you start to think, \u2018Fuck this. I am so over it!'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Or I&#8217;m not just over this, but I&#8217;m over life, in the case of former British cyclist Lizzy Banks, whose contamination case left her battling suicidal thoughts. In July 2023, Banks tested positive for traces of the banned diuretic chlortalidone. April 2024, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) cleared Banks, accepting that contamination likely stemmed from a tablet she took for asthma. June 2024, WADA appealed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, ruling that she&#8217;d failed to prove the source of the contamination despite overwhelming scientific and contextual evidence and so banned her for two years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"instagram-embed kiosq-b\" id=\"elk-DNPnzS_o5hf\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version=\"6\">\n<p>A post shared by Lizzy Banks (@elizzybanks)<\/p>\n<p>A photo posted by on <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-eff273ff-52de-4936-aa3a-740a733c895b\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;This case demonstrates the high bar set by the application of the &#8216;strict liability&#8217; principle,&#8221; UKAD pronounced, &#8220;and the challenges in identifying and establishing unintentional violations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The &#8216;will they, won&#8217;t they?&#8217; sanction left Banks in turmoil.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure yet whether I regret having carried on the fight,&#8221; she wrote at the time. &#8220;I&#8217;m so empty right now that I barely know what I feel anymore. But this is what they do to people like me. They crush us. They expect that we will just walk away and they will never have any consequences. But there must be consequences.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Banks proposed a series of anti-doping changes to protect athlete welfare including easing the burden of proof \u2013 that athletes shouldn&#8217;t be required to provide the exact source of contamination when strong scientific evidence shows the substance level is incompatible with intentional use. She sees the current system as creating prolonged uncertainty and psychological harm.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-524d913d-6e56-435e-b1ee-a59d55bf63be\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whereabouts-is-the-welfare-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Whereabouts is the welfare?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-47b81500-b2ed-49d7-8de4-766c40c64da7\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">As do a dozen professional tennis players, including Nick Kyrgios, who in January 2025 filed a legal case against tennis federations and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for a complete disregard of athlete well-being when enforcing anti-doping policing.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The case came off the back of doping allegations against the men&#8217;s world number one, Jannik Sinner, who twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol. WADA accepted the Italian&#8217;s story that he didn&#8217;t cheat and exposure came via his fitness coach&#8217;s massage cream. Both parties agreed to a three-month ban that some felt conveniently expired before the second Major of the year, the French Open. The civil class-action cited his preferential treatment due to potential financial implications and access to superior legal representation.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">A team of academics \u2013 including Alex Smith, senior researcher at Bern University in Switzerland \u2013 examined the complaint in a paper entitled, &#8216;Coercive compliance? Anti-doping systems in tennis and athlete mental health.&#8217; It&#8217;s a fascinating read and draws attention to the need for fairness when enforcing anti-doping policy.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The focus of most anti-doping bodies remains firmly on detection and deterrence, which is understandable, but the inadvertent psychological implications of compliance sits largely outside that frame,&#8221; co-author Smith tells us. &#8220;Research has documented what some call \u2018clean anxiety&#8217; among athletes, which is a persistent fear of inadvertent rule violations and the reputational damage that would follow.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;For younger athletes who are still developing, that could be particularly problematic. They&#8217;re trying to establish themselves in elite sport, managing uncertain incomes, unpredictable travel, sometimes young families, and on top of all that they carry this background fear of making an administrative error that carries the same punishment as failing a drugs test.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">For administrative error, read the Whereabouts system. This is a requirement in any sport signed up to the WADA Code and allows anti-doping authorities to conduct unannounced drug tests on athletes between 6am and 11pm (and, in some cases like targeted testing, also between 11pm and 6am) on any day of the year. Athletes must update their ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration Management System) to give a specific 60-minute time slot each day when they guarantee they&#8217;ll be available for testing. You can update it any time before that 60-minute time slot begins. If you miss three tests within a 12-month period, you&#8217;re banned.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-3c3f1497-1c18-4bd6-8f5a-770cf489a553\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/KCGequQd6vLdQ3KNEuuuLU.jpg\" alt=\"during the Women&amp;#039;s Road Race on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Fort Copacabana on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] full-width\">\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Lizzie Deignan narrowly avoided a ban after missing tests in the run-up to the Olympics in Rio <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-a970ed19-82c1-4518-8926-6a981c4e23d5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Athletes have described the constant need to remain organised, available and compliant, particularly during periods of travel, family commitments, illness or other major life stressors,&#8221; says Smith. &#8220;The concern is often less about being monitored and more about the possibility of making an administrative mistake that could carry significant professional consequences. In that respect, the psychological burden may be less visible than other stressors in elite sport, but it does remain present in the background of athletes&#8217; lives.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Smith stresses that the integrity of anti-doping testing is vitally important and out-of-competition testing is an effective tool. &#8220;However, athletes are required to disclose their whereabouts around the clock, submit to surprise testing and provide highly sensitive health data, including biometric identifiers and medical information,&#8221; he says. &#8220;Nowhere else in a democratic society would we accept that level of surveillance as a condition of employment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That&#8217;s the academic viewpoint. What about the athletic one? &#8220;Of course, out-of-competition testing and monitoring is important,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;Dick Pound [former president of WADA] had a great saying that if you fail in competition, you&#8217;ve failed two tests: the doping control test and the IQ test!<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;So, things like the Whereabouts system are useful but I&#8217;d actually have preferred a tracking device, especially in the off-season when you&#8217;re looking to switch off from cycling mode. That&#8217;s when your plans tend to change. You might head to your mate&#8217;s for a couple of drinks and the last thing you&#8217;re thinking of is logging into your phone to change the address on ADAMS. You then awake the next morning and panic that if the doping officer visited, you&#8217;ve messed up.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Thankfully, I was pretty diligent and only had one out-of-competition miss, which I contested because the tester made fundamental errors and it was removed. The area \u2013 Andorra, where I was living \u2013 was unfamiliar to them and they went to the wrong building. But it was stressful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Woods says he has friends who missed three tests in the 12-month period but fought the last one and won. &#8220;And I know others who missed three and were banned.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-8a60a880-6941-47b0-91a1-ab68ba18d1d5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"punished-for-neurology-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Punished for neurology <\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-1b03d8ed-bea6-486d-897b-a71957b5d5cd\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Further pressure arises from the therapeutic usage exemption (TUE) system, which allows prohibited substances to be used for medical reasons. It&#8217;s supposed to be performance-enabling rather than enhancing, though is perceived to be widely abused.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The burden arises from the additional documentation and evidentiary requirements imposed by the anti-doping framework,&#8221; says Smith. &#8220;For conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it&#8217;s a challenge. Many cyclists take medication for ADHD, which is on the prohibited list, but the process of sorting a TUE is extremely involved. That&#8217;s not great for a disorder associated with forgetfulness and disorganisation. You&#8217;re almost punishing someone for having the disorder, which means many might not bother taking the medication to avoid form-filling. If you&#8217;re in the middle of a peloton and you&#8217;ve got a disorder that&#8217;s linked to hyperactivity and impulsivity, that has clear implications for you and your fellow riders.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;That&#8217;s me,&#8221; says Woods. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never been officially diagnosed but I was almost held back a grade and repeatedly told I had &#8216;attention issues&#8217;. If I was younger, I&#8217;m confident I&#8217;d have been diagnosed with ADHD at school. Keeping on top of these forms and apps is a real issue and can kill careers. Miss tests and teams won&#8217;t sign you. Sponsors won&#8217;t sponsor you. You can&#8217;t race.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Smith says British Cycling has delivered TUE courses specifically aimed at riders with ADHD, but suggests all levels of elite athletes should be better supported, as they can face considerable costs simply to demonstrate eligibility for a treatment that&#8217;s medically needed. More broadly, he says that greater focus must centre on the daily strain of adhering to anti-doping policy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"elk-f15b86ed-f9d9-4f17-b893-afd793c55f1c\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\n<blockquote class=\"vanilla-quoteblock\">\n<p>A welfare check-in, delivered through the existing infrastructure, would catch athletes who are struggling before they reach crisis point.<\/p><figcaption><cite>Alex Smith<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-782a7e59-fa1a-4ad5-af1b-f64b0a8cce5c\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The argument is always that athletes consent to it, but that consent is functionally coerced,&#8221; he says. &#8220;An athlete who refuses compliance faces immediate exclusion from international competition. The balance shifts when you build genuine welfare support into the framework. Right now, the obligations are clearly defined and the consequences of failure are clearly defined, but the psychological support available to athletes navigating that system remains largely absent. We believe that you can uphold rigorous testing and provide mental health resources.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;We&#8217;d suggest introducing mandatory welfare assessments as part of the anti-doping relationship as standard practice for any athlete in a registered testing pool,&#8221; Smith continues. &#8220;Right now, the system is entirely focussed on compliance. There&#8217;s no touchpoint where anyone asks how an athlete is actually doing. A welfare check-in, delivered through the existing infrastructure, would catch athletes who are struggling before they reach crisis point, and it would send a signal that anti-doping organisations view athletes as people with lives and health needs rather than just samples to be collected.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">This humanising of the anti-doping system is picked up on by those dozen tennis players, who contested the ITIA policy of &#8220;requiring players selected for drug testing to shower under direct observation if they choose to wash before providing a sample&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Woods echoes the indignity. &#8220;I&#8217;ve had testers come straight after my morning coffee. Let&#8217;s just say I&#8217;m regular after that first caffeine hit. The chaperone can&#8217;t take their eyes off you once you&#8217;ve opened the door, so I&#8217;ve had times when I&#8217;ve taken a shit staring eyeball to eyeball with a tester. I get it because there are cases in the past of athletes passing off clean samples by using a prosthetic penis. But you don&#8217;t want it, the tester certainly doesn&#8217;t want it. I must admit, you do sit there thinking fuck the dopers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Anti-doping remains essential. Few athletes and researchers would argue otherwise. Yet as sport pursues cheats with ever greater vigilance, it must also consider the cost borne by those playing by the rules. For every doper trying to evade detection, thousands of clean athletes are navigating surveillance, suspicion and the fear of inadvertent error. Protecting sport&#8217;s integrity matters. Protecting the well-being of the people who uphold it matters, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/doping\/nowhere-else-would-we-accept-that-level-of-surveillance-as-clean-anxiety-sweeps-the-pro-peloton-is-the-anti-doping-system-in-need-of-reform\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/smzYAM6ZyXxpBk9GXGDqgn-2112-80.png&#8221;] 1 Should cycling ban altitude training? How an obsession with peak performance is ruining racing 2 &#8216;Serious incidents continue to occur&#8217; \u2013 CPA Women calls for &#8216;substantial review&#8217; of SafeR after Ur\u0161ka \u017digart&#8217;s crash at Tour de Suisse 3 &#8216;I would trade all the prize money for safety&#8217; \u2013 Top gravel pros [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-2007532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2007532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2007532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2007532\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2007532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2007532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2007532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}