Bernard Prevost/Presse Sports via US PRESSWIRE
A few nights ago the wheels were set in motion for an agreement between the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Any agreement would not pertain to the Lance Armstrong case, but to the cases of repentant cyclist who have come through a ban.
On Friday UCI president Pat McQuaid openly talked about an amnesty for offenders, and the possibility that the sport could operate with an ethos of rehabilitation as a new cleaner age was ushered in.
“It’s a subject I will bring up myself at the management committee of the UCI and it’s something which we would look into possibly doing,” McQuaid informed journalists.
“It would need to be examined as to how it could be introduced, what would be the parameters of it, what would be the framework in which it’s worked, what would be the results afterwards. We have to work in the world anti-doping rules and sanctions.”
USADA have previously broached this subject with UCI, and in a letter to the union they posted the statement: “If UCI is truly interested in setting up a special panel to deal with doping, it should not be for one case, rather UCI should ask WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) to establish an independent body akin to a truth and reconciliation commission, where the skeletons of doping in cycling can all come out of the closet, the many cyclists who have doped can come clean, and cycling can go forward with a fresh start.”
With this issue set to gather pace in the build up to a case against Lance Armstrong, such a sentiment will come under scrutiny. Should Armstrong be found guilty then ‘zero tolerance’ will get the reactionary vote. If he is not guilty then many could simply forget about such issues.
