As was widely anticipated, the International Cycling Union create biological ‘passports’ in an effort to thwart doping.
The passports will be aggregated through a series of blood and urine tests which will act as a baseline for certain biological markers. Changes in those levels may indicate the body’s reaction to doping. The general thought is that each rider will be checked against his baselines as a precondition to entering a race.
The World Anti-Doping Agency financed a research program after the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, where a dozen athletes were suspended from competition because of high levels of hemoglobin.
“I think the expectation from the cycling organizations is that every rider at the Tour next year will be covered by the passport process,” said David Howman, director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency. “I would say that is a significant advancement.”
