In what is thought to be the first major collaboration of its kind, the Bike Pure anti-doping movement and the Tour de Langkawi have announced a new partnership today.
Bike Pure, a not-for-profit initiative, will sent specially-commissioned wristbands to the event. These will be available to be worn by race officials, staff and riders at the race, and will also be given out free of charge to spectators. They will act as a visual display of a desire for a clean sport.
“Le Tour de Langkawi is thrilled to collaborate with Bike Pure in support of clean cycling,” said Tour de Langkawi CEO Mohamed Bin Salleh. “As one of the biggest races in Asia, we hope that with this partnership creates fair competition and move forward into a new drug-free era for cycling all over the world.” Mohamed Bin Salleh continued. “We are honoured to be the first Asian cycling event to be associated with Bike Pure for the purpose of protecting the integrity of cycling.”
The 15th edition of the UCI (Hors Category) stage race will take place from March 1-7th. It will begin in Kota Bharu and finishes seven days later in Kuala Lumpur. It is a 2.HC ranked event and will feature twenty teams, with ProTour squads amongst those expected to take part. Past winners include Tom Danielson and Chris Horner, who are now with the Garmin Transitions and RadioShack teams respectively.
Bike Pure welcomes the new partnership, recognising that it will help to spread the message. “There is a momentum for major change within cycling. Fans of the sport no longer want the dopers destroying it's image. This feeling is illustrated clearly by the organisers of Le Tour de Langkawi, which is the first professional event to fully partner Bike Pure and show it's commitment to anti-doping on a worldwide scale."
"Major events like Le Tour de Langkawi are put together at great expense and no organiser wishes to see his event tarnished with a doping scandal. Sponsors require positive media attention, and one single rider could destroy all this investment."
Shimano is another which is actively pushing a clean sport. It indicated to teams being supplied with its products that it had a zero-tolerance policy and that any positive tests would lead to a withdrawal of equipment. These initiatives, coupled with the UCI’s bio-passport, show that the sport is making serious efforts to ensure a better future.
