Publicus said:
Exactly. My only problem with WADA is that, at least as it relates to a single event (multi-day races; GTs), they should use the same lab throughout so that all of the riders are treated equally, or at a minimum, make sure that advances in techniques in one lab are shared with all of the other labs to ensure that a positive at one lab is a positive at ALL WADA accredited labs.
this new angle is a dead end. the burden is upon the athlete. they can keep themselves out of trouble by...drum roll please....not doping. in other words, law enforcement won't perform expensive DNA analysis to chase down the guy who has stolen your 10 year old vehicle. they might incur those costs to solve a kidnapping or a murder tho. investigators apply some judgement because they don't have unlimited resources. being pursued more vigorously doesn't make you less guilty.
WADA*, or in reality the UCI/AFLD, can send samples wherever they want. it's safe to assume deeper analysis of samples is more costly. high priority cases should go to whatever (accredited) lab they're willing to send them to. it's a practical matter of targeting and allocating resources. from now on, tour leaders can expect more rigorous testing standards and that's a very good thing. solution: don't cheat, especially if you plan on winning the biggest race on the calendar.
* - some, especially the swordsman, are confused about the actual purpose for WADA's existence or their role in this. WADA creates standards and essentially only provides a stamp of approval. the same way they apply their stamp to a lab they also apply it to a particular sport (aka a stakeholder). they establish a code consisting of a prohibited substance list and sanctioning guidelines. that's about it. they don't pay for testing, they don't run labs, they don't profit from positive or negative tests, and they don't sanction athletes. if a sport's governing body wants credibility they simply adhere to WADA's rules. if the UCI or national federation doesn't play by the agreed upon rules, WADA will object. in other words, if the spanish fed doesn't sanction contador, it goes against WADA's code and they are required to appeal to CAS. if they didn't act in this way and fulfill their obligation as an anti-doping watchdog they would lose credibility, the sporting results would lose credibility, and WADA would serve no useful purpose to anyone. quite simple really, they're doing what they're supposed to do.