December 1, 2006 — The cycling community at large should be educating the public about why it is the focus of the doping issues vs other sports because the playing field is not even — many sports are not as transparent as cycling.

I contacted WADA (World Anti-doping Agency) recently about this and for instance, as of today, pro hockey as well as other pro sports, have not signed their Code, effectively meaning hockey follows its own anti-doping rules.

WADA urges sports to sign their Code but can’t force any sport to do so. According to WADA pro athletes must abide by the Code when competing at the Olympics or Paralympic Games.

My column in Pedal Summer 2006 — click here — talks about this issue. We need to get the word out about this so people understand that unlike some other pro sports, cycling is a participant in the process of finding solutions for doping in sport.

WADA’s list of all organizations who have signed the Code is here.