UCI president Brian Cookson has said that he believes cycling is on the ‘right track’ in terms of its anti-doping methods but that the governing body must not rest on its laurels. In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, Cookson, who is coming to the end of his first term, says that confidence is being restored in the sport after the many doping scandals of the 1990s and 2000s.
“In the last three years, I have done my best to restore confidence in our sport. It is not easy with regards to the reputation damage we have suffered in recent years, for the reasons we know,” Cookson told Le Figaro.
“We have made considerable efforts to ensure that the entire chain of action against doping is the best possible, independent, and free from conflicts of interest. We have also set up a research commission and a new ethical code, with a dedicated committee. I'm not complacent, but I think cycling is on the right track. One can never relax. We know that we must remain vigilant. And we will be."
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In the interview, Cookson was asked about one of cycling's most recent issues - that of mechanical doping. In January of this year, Belgian cyclo-cross rider Femke Van den Driessche was found to have a motor in her bike at the World Championships.
This month, engineer Istvan Varjas, who is said to have developed the methods of mechanical doping, told another French publication, Le Monde, that the latest iteration of his invention could give a rider a 15-second burst of power. The Hungarian also hinted that a television investigation would reveal mechanical doping in upper echelons of the cycling peloton.
Asked if he was worried about what might be to come, Cookson evaded answering the question directly but reaffirmed his belief in the testing structure that has been developed in recent years.
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