What about support staff? The Piña situation.
How is it possible for someone who has been involved in two previous teams that had extensive doping programs to still be around to dirty up the sport?
Alvaro Piña was at both Kelme and Phonak, two teams that reportedly had systematic doping going on. Now he is once again linked to a team that has positive riders.
Isn't there any rules in place that can ban dirty support staff from being involved in the sport so that we can get rid of the people behind the dopers as well?
Or is it simply a case of not having enough evidence directly linking people to cheating.
I think it's obvious that things need to improve in this regard. One thing could be to introduce a system where team management and team doctors get direct responsibility for someone on their team getting caught. For example if someone gets caught on any type of stronger doping the managers and doctors each get a strike regardless of how the rider doped. When a person has gotten something like three strikes they get suspended for two years. If they come back and get two more strikes they are gone for life.
How is it possible for someone who has been involved in two previous teams that had extensive doping programs to still be around to dirty up the sport?
Alvaro Piña was at both Kelme and Phonak, two teams that reportedly had systematic doping going on. Now he is once again linked to a team that has positive riders.
Isn't there any rules in place that can ban dirty support staff from being involved in the sport so that we can get rid of the people behind the dopers as well?
Or is it simply a case of not having enough evidence directly linking people to cheating.
I think it's obvious that things need to improve in this regard. One thing could be to introduce a system where team management and team doctors get direct responsibility for someone on their team getting caught. For example if someone gets caught on any type of stronger doping the managers and doctors each get a strike regardless of how the rider doped. When a person has gotten something like three strikes they get suspended for two years. If they come back and get two more strikes they are gone for life.