Rooting Out The Tour de France Cheats with DNA Tests

It used to be the case that pulling on the famous Yellow Jersey at the Tour de France will command respect from fellow competitors and cycling fans the world over. Unfortunately, however, performance enhancing drugs are now rife in the sport and many experts are calling for the introduction of DNA testing to discover the drug cheats and ban them from competing.

Levelling The Playing Field

In any sporting competition, it is important that no one has an unfair advantage and victory should be governed by talent alone. In the Tour de France, however, this was increasingly becoming dubious as more and more cyclists became implicated in doping and performance enhancing drug scandals. Experts believe that DNA testing is one of the best ways to ensure that the cheats no longer prosper and the Tour de France regains its credibility.

DNA Testing – The Cycling Industry’s Trump Card

During a meeting of cycling authorities in Austria, the issue of introducing DNA testing to the sport of cycling took centre stage. They argued that the only way to counter the issue of doping in cycling competitions was to introduce mandatory tests to all competitors. President of the UCI Cycling Federation, Pat McQuaid said of the meeting, “We have to give a very strong signal to the world that we don’t accept cheats.”

Cheats Never Prosper

The world of cycling, and in particular the Tour de France, has been shaken to its foundations by the regularity of the doping scandals. 2006 Tour de France winner, Floyd Landis, was stripped of his title for a positive testosterone test and prior to the 2007 event, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullrich withdrew after being implicated in a Spanish doping scandal. As such, industry regulators are increasingly calling for the introduction of DNA testing to return the sport of cycling and the Tour de France to its former glories.