The creation of a biological passport for all professional riders is taking shape, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Wednesday. The UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced last October that they were planning to collect blood samples from all professional riders to create a medical profile that would then be compared to the data registered in doping tests.
LILLE, France (Reuters) - The creation of a biological passport for all professional riders is taking shape, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Wednesday.
The UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced last October that they were planning to collect blood samples from all professional riders to create a medical profile that would then be compared to the data registered in doping tests.
UCI president Pat McQuaid said at the time the sport's governing body wanted the teams and riders likely to take part in cycling's premium events to be the first to benefit from the biological passport.
"Each rider will be tested as many times as necessary by the end of June," the UCI said in a statement.
!ADVERTISEMENT!"Every sample will be analyzed by a laboratory that is approved by WADA or the UCI and has the required equipment and staff of suitable competence," the statement read.
"Five laboratories have been selected by the UCI at present. All of these have been accredited by Centre Suisse de Controle de la Qualite (Swiss Quality Control Center)."
Amaury Sport Organisation, the organizers of the Tour de France, said last year that all riders wishing to participate to this year's race should be in possession of the biological passport.
The Tour de France will start from Brest on July 5. It will end on July 27 in Paris.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Miles Evans)
