January 22, 2007 – On Monday 22 January, the President of the International Cycling Union (UCI), Pat McQuaid, sent a letter to the rider, Oscar Pereiro, from the Spanish team “˜Caisse d’Epargne’, in which he deplored the attitude of the French Agency for the Fight against Doping (AFLD). Having suffered from asthma for the last several years, Oscar Pereiro has authorisation (TUA) allowing him to treat this illness by using salbutamol, recognised by the UCI, the AFLD and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

At the 2006 Tour de France, traces of this product were found in his urine. However the result of tests carried during the race cannot be considered as a positive anti-doping control. Although he had medical justification requested from September 2006 by the AFLD proving that he indeed suffered from asthma brought on by physical exertion, Oscar Pereiro delayed providing it to this organisation.

This is considered as a failure to respect established administrative procedures. This serious negligence by the Spanish rider is regrettable and harms the image of cycling as a whole, although he is not guilty of any infringement. The UCI has asked the AFLD to refrain from publicly implying that a rider is guilty of a doping offence when he has only committed an administrative fault. Such an attitude does not help to support the cycling community, which is fighting more than ever against the phenomenon of doping.