Cycling - Conflict between UCI and ASO continues

The conflict between the sports organizer ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) and the International Cycling Association UCI has not been solved yet. The announced sanctions with which the UCI already threatened the teams last March whether they would start at the French stage relay Paris-Nizza stayed away. After vast negotiations the teams confident all in sync to not be browbeaten and participate in the race. On the other hand UCI testament not vacate the field! The main end of issue between these two unions is the deviating opinion regarding the assortment of the participating teams. The International Cycling Association assures every company which owns a ProTour Licence the true to participate in all races. After the dilemma between the organizers ASO, RCS-Sports and Unipublic started, their races were taken off the 2008 ProTour calendar. This includes the races of the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espaņa. The query raised as ASO announced the Kazakh squad Astana will be excluded from this year's events due to the doping occurrences in 2006 and 2007. If the team proves they won't have any narcotic commotion this year, the organizer ASO will reconsider their accord and likely participations could be possible again. The reigning champion of the Tour de France Alberto Contador who joined the Astana-Team in 2006 won't be able to defend his title this year. He takes it calmly after the victory at this year's Giro d'Italia. He said he prefers this Giro victory than a second victory at the Tour de France. The victory from the Spaniard was a surprise for everybody. At the 8th of 21 stages he came by an injury on his forearm bone The World federation threatens the participants once again with potential sanctions if they start at the Tour de France. In that the organizer ASO share over the responsibility of the Tour to the governmental cycling federation the UCI will not perform the doping control. The criterion will be carried outside by the French Anti Doping Agency (AFLD) who already did the research at the Paris-Nizza race in March The decision was based on the bad doing with the UCI who did not consequently take forceful decisions in the past. The organizer ASO wants to launch the inspection already in the forefront to drive credible doping delinquents before the inception of the Tour. According to a concluded treaty all participating teams need to provide the ASO with the whereabouts of their cyclists to take the tests. From the 20 subscribed squads 15 admit already fulfilled the request. The universal director of the Tour de France Christian Prudhomme warns the teams if they won't care them with the requested information. Besides blood and urine tests there is a hair analysis but only in instance of a pleasant by-product from the inaugural tests. The declaration about an introduction of an official blood passport for each cyclist which was signed at the end Oct will not be valid this year because the UCI won't proceeds the dates they have collected so far.

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