October 2, 2009 – During the its annual Congress which took place on September 25, in Lugano, Switzerland, the UCI was pleased to announce “True Champion or Cheat?”, a new anti-doping education initiative designed for riders of all levels and their support personnel.

“True Champion or Cheat?” is an interactive learning experience which makes undertaking the programme interesting and engaging for participants. It comprises a series of eight 10 – 15 minute video stories which require participants to interact with the actors and undertake quizzes and exercises in order to successfully complete each module.

The primary aim of the programme is to ensure riders fully understand their rights and responsibilities under the UCI Anti-Doping Rules and the World Anti-Doping Code, so that it will no longer be possible for them to claim ignorance of the rules.

The development of the programme reflects the UCI’s belief that elimination of doping within cycling can be best achieved with a combination of strong testing and engaging education.

Completion of “True Champion or Cheat?” is compulsory for all riders included in the UCI Registered Testing Pool (RTP). For all other riders, National Cycling Federations are required to play a key role in distributing and encouraging riders and their support personnel to complete the programme.

“True Champion or Cheat?” is currently available in 5 languages. Riders are encouraged to complete the programme on-line to ensure their completion is registered by their National Federation and the UCI. It can be accessed directly from www.truechampionorcheat.org or from the UCI website at www.uci.ch. The programme is also available on a coded DVD for off-line completion.