He's a quiet, interesting character, (Image credit: Shane Stokes)
Garmin-Cervélo's Team Physician, Prentice Steffen played a major part in the UCI's new rules introducing a no-needle policy within the professional peloton.
In 2010 they made it a full team policy, and each rider within the team was asked to sign a contract which states, "No injections or infusions of any kind will be permitted in any racing, training or resting circumstance, no matter time of year, location, or event."
Earlier this year Steffen was asked to speak at an assembly of ProTeam doctors, UCI officials including President Pat McQuaid, as well as members of the French police. The meeting covered several topics, including an overview of the UCI's Biological Passport, police involvement and the possibilities of a no needle stance throughout the peloton.
The UCI pushed through the regulation before the Giro with all teams now enforced to follow the rules. In recent days Bradley Wiggins (Sky) has claimed that the rule is hard to enforce - something that Steffen agrees with - but the American who has been passionate about the subject for a number of years still believes that it is a vital tool in the sport's fight against doping.
In this exclusive video with Cyclingnews Steffen talks about the policy's formation and its relevance within the sport.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
