UCI hesitation puts world cycling championships in doubt

September's world cycling championships in Stuttgart remain in doubt after it emerged that the international cycling union (UCI) is yet to sign the agreed anti-doping agreement for the event.

"The agreement is a basic requirement if the world cycling championships are to take place," Susanne Eisenmann, the elected official responsible for the sport in Stuttgart told DPA Wednesday.

The German Interior Ministry has given UCI until Thursday morning to sign the agreement but Eisenmann was confident UCI president Pat McQuaid would meet the deadline.

"The UCI signature is the only thing that is still missing," said Eisenmann, who is also chairman of the organising committee.

Eisenmann said Alexandre Vinokourov's positive dope test for mixed red blood cell population shortly after he won Saturday's individual time trial in the Tour de France had not changed Stuttgart's attitude towards the Sep 25-30 event.

Vinokourov's positive test result comes in the wake of the decision by German TV stations last week to stop broadcasting the Tour live after it was reported that German cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz had been detected with an illegally high level of testosterone in an out-of-competition test in June, a month before the Tour started.

"We are under time constraints," said Eisenmann. "If we want to carry out unannounced training doping controls, then there is no point only beginning two weeks before the world championships."

The event organisers want to meet within the next seven days to set up a steering group that will look at the best way to implement the anti-doping measures.

The group will include representatives from the UCI, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the German Cycling Federation (BDR) and Germany's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

The anti-doping measures at the world championships include the checking of long-term blood profiles of cyclists as well as dope tests before and during the event.

All competitors will also have to sign a charter rejecting drug use and doping.

"Our objective is to use these unprecedented measures to give cycling one more chance. It doesn't have many left," said Eisenmann.

--DPA

(IANS)

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