CSC's anti-doping program delayed

by Katharina Schulz

After being involved in one of cycling's biggest doping scandals during which most of the favourites for the Tour de France 2006 were excluded one day before the race started, Danish Team CSC had decided to launch one of the most ambitious anti-doping plans. In taking aboard one of Denmark's leading anti-doping specialists, Rasmus Damsgaard, they took an offensive course of action. However, this course has apparently been stalled, if only temporarily, as there are still no concrete plans for the program after the latest meeting between team director Bjarne Riis and Damsgaard.

Damsgaard is still optimistic, "We haven't come as far as I'd been hoping, but things are still looking positive. We had our second meeting on Friday, and now CSC are checking their budget to find out whether the preliminary plan is economically feasible," Damsgaard told the Danish news agency Ritzau. The two parties have also asked the national anti-doping agency, Anti Doping Danmark, and the UCI to join them in their efforts to fight unauthorized measures. "I haven't heard anything from the UCI yet, but I am doing my best to get an answer from them," Damsgaard said.