The UCI formally announced its 2015 Anti-Doping rules today.

[classic33]

Adding more details to those already noted by Cyclingnews. The rules were revamped in order to align with the 2015 edition of the WADA code, but also put into action a promise by UCI president Brian Cookson to establish a global Anti-Doping Tribunal for the sport.

The UCI Management Committee approved the tribunal in September, making it the first stop for all cycling doping cases for international riders. Made up of "judges specialised in anti-doping, independent of the UCI", the tribunal aims to make anti-doping case adjudication more consistent and timely than those of the national anti-doping organisations, which previously held this role. "This should ensure consistency and uniform quality in the decisions, significantly reduce the number of cases that go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on appeal and lift the operational burden from National Federations," the UCI stated.

 

[The Couch]

the tribunal aims to make anti-doping case adjudication more consistent and timely than those of the national anti-doping organisations, which previously held this role. "This should ensure consistency and uniform quality in the decisions, significantly reduce the number of cases that go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on appeal

Not so sure, if they will happen that much quicker, since the riders will make their case now against this tribunal instead of the CAS, but not sure that that will drastically change the timings

The new UCI rules aim to help prevent such cases from being public until the athletes have had a chance to prove their innocence and will not require provisional suspensions from competition when athletes have turned up positive for "non-specified substances", such as probenicid or clenbuterol, which are likely to show up due to contamination or some other inadvertent exposure by the athlete

A bit weird that they will prevent cases from being public on these type of substances, but they don't say anything about the fact that a positive tests gets into the media before a B-sample is tested ...although I can't say many instances that the B-sample gave another result, I did always find it unfair that this got smeared in the press before a confirmatory test was done
I guess this rule will make the timings (from the first quote) for the riders indeed much better, since they won't get suspended directly... but not quite sure that that is the best way either (if you are suspected of a crime, they arrest you as well, right?)


Also no mention of any rule on what to do with teams who have a certain amount of doping cases in a certain amount of time??

 

[oldroadman]

I notice BC have (wisely in my own view) aligned their rules with UKAD so any cases presumably will be heard by UKAD now, not BC? Very sensible, nothing to hide, other sports should take note.

 

[User169]

Not so sure, if they will happen that much quicker, since the riders will make their case now against this tribunal instead of the CAS, but not sure that that will drastically change the timings

It's not instead of CAS - CAS will still be there as the appeal tribunal. The idea is that the new tribunal can replace first instance proceedings before national bodies. As I read it, the hope is that the new tribunal will produce better quality decisions, so there will be fewer appeals.