McQuaid, Liquigas respond to Torri
Italian anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri came out on Wednesday to explain that, in his experience, doping is as rife in cycling as it’s ever been, if only more sophisticated. Pat McQuaid and Team Liquigas were both quick to refute
that claim, but Torri isn’t the only person close to cycling that has suggested that cycling and doping may never be separated.
“The longer I’m involved in this, the more I marvel at how widespread doping is. And I don’t think it will be eradicated. Because it just evolves continuously. There are new substances coming out that can’t be tested for,” said Torri.
“I’m not the only one saying it.”
McQuaid, the president of the Union Cycliste Internationale responded almost immediately with a statement, written in Italian, that he released to the Italian media. In it, McQuaid said that he was disappointed and dismayed by Torri’s
comments but that they would not deter his commitment to the fight against doping.
“The effectiveness of the action taken by the UCI to combat this real problem – which is common to all sports - has been repeatedly recognised by the most important institutions in sport, including the International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping
Agency, who we co-operate with very closely,” read the statement.
McQuaid claimed that the UCI has been the leader in the global fight against doping in all sports. Cycling was the first sport to introduce a test for EPO and the biological passport system is perhaps the most sophisticated system to track doping practices.
He cited these measures as proof that Torri’s claims were inaccurate.
“Claiming that all cyclists dope not only launches a serious and even shameful accusation that is entirely devoid of any objective evidence but also refutes the validity of the anti-doping controls currently in force. Especially considering the painful,
but absolutely transparency of the results obtained so far.”
However, suggesting that Torri’s accusations lacked objectivity highlights that McQuaid’s own refutations do as well. Being the most tested sport in the world does make it cleaner if it’s also the sport with the most doping controversies
in the world.
“The problem of doping has not been completely eradicated, nor perhaps will ever be,” conceded the UCI president.
Meanwhile, Italian pro cycling team Liquigas has taken particular offence with its countryman’s comments. Torri, like most who try to expose doping culture, explained that doping is a team effort. The success of individual cyclists
in regular doping is made possible with support from teams, trainers and doctors who help the cyclist avoid getting a positive test. This is particularly painful to hear for any teams who may be exceptions.
"Liquigas Sport has promoted the ethics of sport as a cornerstone of its business since its inception, and will work alongside the institutions to foster important and concrete actions in support of the fight against doping. With the same determination with
which it stands, however, the company considers unacceptable the indiscriminate accusations by the prosecutor Torri: that's not how you fight the cancer of the sport."
Team Liquigas has gone so far as to suggest that the UCI and the Italian Cycling Federation should take legal action against the prosecutor.
"Liquigas Sport, in protecting its image and in defense of its ethics in sports, openly condemns the statements of Torri and wonders how the same may continue to serve as head of CONI's anti-doping prosecutor, while holding such an explicitly biased position."
The question that we must all ask is this: Why is it typical for the opponents of those commentators who suggest that doping is the norm to seek to shut these commentators up, though they maintain their own anti-doping stance?
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