May 2, 2008 – At a press conference organized today at the World Cycling Centre, the International Cycling Union (UCI) revealed the names of the independent experts who will analyze the profiles of the riders participating in the biological passport programme.

Present at the press conference were the UCI President Pat McQuaid, the UCI staff in charge of anti-doping, the experts who participated in the validation of the scientific model on which the biological passport is based, members of the independent group of experts (Mr Olaf Schumacher and Mr Pierluigi Fiorella), and representatives of teams participating in the Tour de Romandie.

The group of experts is made up of the members listed below. All of them have published numerous reference articles in their fields.

– Michael Ashenden (Australia), Project coordinator, Science and Industry Against Blood Doping Research Consortium, on the Gold Coast, in Australia, and member of the World Anti-Doping Agency working group on blood parameters.

– Michel Audran (France), Professor, biophysical and bio analysis laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montpellier I, France. Professor Audran is also a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency working group on blood parameters.

– Bo Berglund (Sweden), Professor, departments of medicine and of chemistry at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, and member of the medical and anti-doping committee of the International Canoe Federation. Professor Berglund is also a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency working group on blood parameters. In addition, he is chief physician of the Swedish Olympic Committee.

– Giuseppe D’Onofrio (Italy), Professor of haematology and Director of the transfusion department at the Policlinic A. Gemelli in Rome. He is also a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency working group on blood parameters.

– Pierluigi Fiorella (Italy), sports doctor, cardiologist, Director of the Olympus Medical Centre in Ravenna, member of the scientific and technical commission of the Italian Athletics Federatoin, member of the health protection commission of the Italian Cycling Federation and consultant for FC Inter-Milan.

– Giuseppe Fischetto (Italy), specialist in sports medicine, internal medicine and pneumology. He is Head of the emergency department at the Frascati-Marino Hospital in Rome, member of the medical and anti-doping commission of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and Head of the medical department of the Italian Athletic Federation. He is also a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency working group on blood parameters.

– Olivier Hermine (France), Professor, service of adults haematology and service of infectious and tropical diseases at Necker Hospital in Paris. Professor Hermine is also haematology consultant for the French Cycling Federation.

– Robin Parisotto (Australia) is an independent research scientist. He worked of many years with the Australian Sports Institute.

– Olaf Schumacher (Germany), works in the department of sports medicine at the University of Freiburg, in Germany. He is a member of the UCI Security and Safety Conditions Commission and is currently chief physician of the German Cycling Federation.

For more info on the UCI Biological Passport experts click here.

During the conference, M.N. Robinson, from the Laboratoire Suisse d’Analyse du Dopage, in Lausanne, set out the scientific model on which the biological passport is based. M. O. Schumacher gave a demonstration of the analytical work that the independent experts will carry out on the profiles.

Ms A. Gripper, Manager of the UCI Anti-doping Service, gave an overview of the tests carried out within the biological passport programme. These continue according to the established schedule. As of 30th April, 2’172 tests had been carried out.

Ms Gripper then clarified that the classic anti-doping tests were still being carried out alongside the biological passport programme.

She finally recalled that all riders who will take part in the Giro d’Italia on the 10th May will have been tested under the biological passport.

Giro d’Italia and the biological passport
Questions / Answers

Will all the riders participating in the Giro d’Italia be in possession of a biological passport?
Yes. All riders are part of the passport programme.

All teams entered in the 2008 Giro d’Italia have committed financial and practical support to the passport.

All their riders are providing regular whereabouts information. This means that they are all available to be tested by the UCI. The tests planned by the UCI have been carried out.

Can the organizer of the Giro d’Italia prevent a rider from taking part in the race if that rider has not been tested within the context of the biological passport?
I am pleased to say that the question does not even need to be asked. The organizer of the Giro can rest assured: all riders who will participate in the Giro d’Italia are in the biological passport programme. They have provided the UCI with detailed whereabouts information and have therefore been tested before the race.

Has the UCI provided (or will it provide) the organizer of the Giro d’Italia with detailed information (of riders and teams) on the tests carried out within the context of the biological passport?
The UCI can confirm to the organizer of the Giro that all riders who will participate in this event are included in the passport programme. The tests that were planned have been carried out on each rider.

According to the test results, the UCI will draw the necessary conclusions.

In respect to the athletes, the UCI cannot divulge the information contained in their biological passports to anyone other than the team staff members as agreed by the riders.

Will riders from the teams LPR Brakes and NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte also be in possession of a biological passport?
Yes. Riders from LPR and NGC are also in the programme. Testing has commenced on these riders.

Why do the teams LPR Brakes and NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte have a biological passport when they do not have wild card status?
LPR and NGC expressed commitment to the aims of the biological passport programme. They have agreed to pay the full cost of the programme for their teams.

The UCI has the discretion to include any team which is willing to finance their participation in the passport.

Have all the teams paid their contributions for the biological passport?
All teams have either paid their first installment or signed a payment contract.

Is it possible to obtain more exact information about the number of tests carried out within the context of the biological passport (number of tests per team, number of tests per rider)?
Specific information on testing and results is communicated to individual riders and with their authorization to specific staff of their team.

In the interests of athlete confidentiality and their rights, it is appropriate to release detailed information only to team representatives who are authorized by each rider.

Statistics on the tests carried out are available on the UCI website (www.uci.ch).

What are the first conclusions you have been able to draw as a result of the biological passport?
It is too early to draw any overall conclusions. We are still collecting data in order to establish the profiles and we will be able to draw the first conclusions in May.

However, according to the riders and teams it appears that things are changing in the peloton. There is a stronger sense that competitions are being raced and won in an honest manner.

We believe that the large increase in the number of tests (compared with last year) and the introduction of individually tailored profiles, which together greatly improve the possibility of detecting doping, have acted as an effective deterrence.

When will these conclusions be made public?
It is likely that we will be able to provide some early general conclusions in the second half of this year.

Can we assume that, thanks to the biological passport, all riders at the start of the Giro d’Italia will be clean?
No. We can never be 100% that a rider isn’t doping. We cannot control the decisions which riders make before and during a race. Having said that, we can certainly influence a rider’s decision to dope by conducting an effective anti-doping programme. Riders will be completely deterred from doping when they feel that the risks of being detected and banned exceed the potential benefits of using doping methods and substances.

What will the biological passport allow you to detect?
The hematological profile shows changes in several key blood parameters and provides scientifically robust information on the likelihood that a rider is blood doping.

The steroid profile shows changes in hormonal parameters, which are a sign that the rider is doping with testosterone or similar substances.

We are confident that the passport will greatly improve the efficiency of detection of doping methods or substances and that, as a result, it will be an effective deterrent.