Cycling’s governing body the UCI has adopted the policy previously agreed to by the members of the Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC), which saw signatory teams agree to impose an eight day break from competition for all riders who have received glucocorticosteroid injections.
The substances, which can be used to treat inflammation, can also have a performance boost and have been abused by some riders in the past. The eight day break in racing is intended to ensure riders have no lingering benefit in their system, and also to prevent others from claiming to have certain issues while taking the substances for a performance boost.
The UCI has announced that it too has taken up the same approach as the MPCC, with the UCI management committee agreeing to this tactic at its meeting in Louisville earlier this month.
“The UCI must be informed by the doctor applying such an injection,” it said. “The No Needle Policy, introduced by the UCI to its Medical Regulations in 2011, originally stipulated that a rider must not compete for 48 hours after a local injection of glucocorticosteroids.”
UCI president Pat McQuaid said that he requested that the UCI medical commission extend the period out of racing. “A rider who raced at the weekend could receive an injection of glucocorticosteroids and be racing again in a mid-week competition. Glucocorticosteroids are used to treat inflammations, so a rider requiring this treatment should not be racing within eight days. He or she should be attending his/her condition and resting.”
The rule change will be welcomed by advocates for a cleaner sport.
One further amendment has been announced to the No Needle Policy, with the UCI stating that there is no longer any need for riders to report injections for vaccination purposes.