Independent Review Urges Cycling Australia To Increase Drug Testing

An independent review of cycling in Australia recommended that officials "extend drug testing and establish an ethics panel in the wake of the doping scandal surrounding U.S. rider Lance Armstrong," according to the AFP. It calls for "extending drug testing, on a random and targeted basis, to events at state or territory, club and masters level that are currently subject to either limited or no testing." It also urges Cycling Australia to take "a more proactive role" in gathering intelligence to assist Australia's sports anti-doping agency ASADA and in "establishing collaborative ties with like-minded cycling bodies overseas" (AFP, 1/14). The AAP reported Sports Minister Kate Lundy, who released the report, said that "the government had moved quickly to restore confidence in the community and to safeguard the future of cycling in Australia." Senator Lundy said that the feedback she had received across cycling and Australia "from the grassroots to elite levels" was that people "wanted to see cycling cleaned up and their confidence restored." The minister "advised other sporting bodies to read the report." Lundy said, "There may be some aspects of it that have relevance to how they could too strengthen their regime" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/14).