British Cycling and Anti-Doping

CHANGES FOR 2010

Anti-Doping in the UK sees some significant changes being introduced in time for 2010 and the new season.

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD): The biggest single change comes in that, from 14 December 2009, UK Sport will no longer be the body responsible for anti-doping in the UK. A completely new organization, United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD), takes over responsibility for this essential service. It's a logical step and will remove the obvious incompatibility of UK Sport's responsibility for promoting high performance sport in this country sitting alongside its policing of anti-doping

UKAD will take over the investigation and notification of potential violations of anti-doping rules and UKAD will also be the body to submit cases to the National Anti Doping Panel (NADP). The NADP is also a relatively young body, which has been responsible for adjudicating on any violations and appeals since the beginning of 2009. For British Cycling and its members, this produces one really significant change, with British Cycling no longer being required to be the "prosecutor" and at same time provide help and support for the member in question.

As well as clarifying the anti-doping landscape and removing conflicts of interest, UKAD brings with it some interesting and important new powers. For example, UKAD will have direct links to the SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency) and HM Customs and Revenue. Within UKAD there will be an intelligence gathering function and investigatory capability, which alongside these links to established agencies, mean that it will be able to tackle not only the individuals who are doping, but also target the supply chains which infiltrate sport.

UKAD will also feature a confidential hotline for people with information and knowledge, which can help in the anti-doping battle. This is modeled on the Crimestoppers hotline.

UK Anti-Doping Procedures Guide for Sport

These came into effect on 1 January 2010, and can be downloaded from the UKAD website: Download (220kb Pdf)

2010 Anti-Doping Rules: The new anti-doping rules for 2010 are now available, including a list of prohibited methods and substances - all are pdf downloads of less then 350kb.

UK Anti Doping Rules | WADA Prohibited List | WADA Summary of Modifications

Summary of Significant Changes for 2010

• Pseudoephedrine is Prohibited - Pseudoephedrine has been placed back on the 2010 Prohibited List. Pseudoephedrine is readily available in many over the counter cold and flu remedies and any athlete should take particular care when using such products. As with all medications, always check the status on www.globaldro.com before using the product.
• The Process has changed for Asthma Inhalers - Two Beta-2 Agonists taken via inhalation, Salbutamol and Salmeterol, no longer require a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) as is currently the case. Instead you are required to complete a Declaration of Use using the online declaration form provided on the 100% ME website (www.100percentme.co.uk). All other Beta-2 Agonists will still require full lung function tests and a TUE application.
• Changes around medical treatment with Platelet Derived Preparations: Platelet derived preparations are sometimes used by doctors for the treatment of injury; they can also be referred to as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or spun blood. These treatments can be given in a number of ways. When given via intramuscular injection PRP is prohibited and you should apply for a TUE before having this treatment.
  
  Receiving PRP preparations via any other route will require a Declaration of Use using the online declaration form provided on the 100% ME website (www.100percentme.co.uk). Always ask your doctor to be clear about which route of administration they plan to use, and ensure the relevant notification (Declaration or TUE) has been completed in advance of treatment.

Other Anti-Doping News: At a recent WADA meeting, it was announced that its executive committee has harmonized protocols and operating guidelines for the Athlete Biological Passport System. This means that it can now be taken up and used in all sports, globally. The system has been piloted and used by the UCI for a number of years: cycling is at the forefront of this particular battle against drug cheats.

The Athlete Biological Passport System is based on monitoring an athlete's biological variations over time to facilitate the indirect detection of doping on a longitudinal basis (i.e. in contrast to direct detection of a doping offence). A series of blood samples is taken from an athlete in the system and WADA use a statistical analysis model to come up with baseline readings for that athlete. The more samples taken over time, the more accurate and precise are the limits of a riders' biological functions - for example, what are his/her testosterone levels, steroid levels etc. Any deviation from the athlete's model can indicate an anti-doping violation. Any subsequent investigation obviously factors in illness and other potential outside causes. If these can be excluded, the athlete can then be investigated for a violation of anti-doping regulations. The key to the Athlete Biological Passport System is that an athlete can be prosecuted without any direct drug or method being proven. LINK: WADA

In parallel to the growing importance of the Athlete Biological Passport System, the Athlete Whereabouts (ADAMS) System is also becoming more widely used. An increasing number of sports are beginning to adopt and use this system and whilst it can't said that it's a level playing field yet, the reach and consistency of application of the system is improving all the time. The UK remains amongst countries at the forefront of using the system.

The Global Drug Reference Online Launched: The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), UK Sport, and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) have announced a landmark partnership to jointly launch The Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO), an online directory that provides critical information to athletes and support personnel about the prohibited status of specific substances under the rules of sport, based on the current World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. More on this Story

New UCI Anti-Doping Programme: The UCI has launched its global anti-doping education programme. The programme 'True Champion or Cheat? It's Your Choice...' provides an online learning tool for the UCI family from athletes at all levels to team managers, coaches, parents, administrators, etc and creates a learning community in order for them to better understand the risks and dangers of taking drugs in sport: More on this Story - The programme platform can be accessed from the UCI Academy website and the UCI website

Contact Us: If you have any anti-doping concerns, please contact Brian Barton on 0161 274 2041, 0793 200 9601 brianbarton@britishcycling.org.uk

 

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Athletes on the International and National Registered Testing Pools: Athletes who are on the International and National Registered Testing Pools should already be aware of the information they need to provide regarding their whereabouts. Athletes in any doubt about this should speak to their coach or to the British Cycling Anti-Doping Officer - see below for contact details.

WADA: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an excellent source of information on anti doping. The organisation works to the World Anti-Doping Code and to the World Anti-Doping Programme - read more in our Anti-Doping - WADA

Further Information & Anti-Doping Queries: Anyone with further questions about anti-doping can also speak to the British Cycling Anti-Doping Officer - contact details below:

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Anti-doping contacts

British Cycling Anti-Doping Officer
British Cycling
Stuart Street
Manchester
M11 4DQ

Tel: 0161 274 2041
Mob: 07932 009 601

Email: brianbarton@britishcycling.org.uk

International Anti-Doping Organisation
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
Ch. de la Mêlée 12
1860 Aigle
Switzerland

Tel: +41 24 468 5811
Website: www.uci.ch

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