UCI exploring collaboration with the ITA to step up anti-doping efforts in cycling

“Recent developments such as the Aderlass investigation show one more time that doping knows no boundaries, neither between sports nor countries”, the official statement of UCI underlines.

The UCI will look into the synergies that a potential collaboration with ITA could bring, especially in key areas such as research, innovation, intelligence and investigations, as well as pooling costs and resources. The unique cycling expertise of the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) shall be preserved regardless of the outcome of the discussions and the CADF will retain the responsibility for the cycling anti-doping programme for 2020.

“I firmly believe indeed that anti-doping efforts should not be siloed in sports disciplines”, ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen comments on a possible future collaboration. “Our fight for clean sport is becoming more and more complex and it would only make sense for the UCI, CADF and ITA to unite their efforts, resources and respective expertise to maximize results to increase the protection of cyclists and clean cycling events all over the world. Putting all our experts under the same roof would undoubtedly promote the necessary exchange of knowledge and the sharing of intelligence. I can therefore only see benefits for the cycling family to join this global initiative and I am confident that such a partnership would lead to true advances in our fight for clean sport.”

The UCI will announce the results of its discussion with the ITA when its Management Committee next meets, on 1-2 February 2020.

Please find the official UCI statement here.