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Wednesday, March 3, 2010 Anti-doping figure Gripper leaves UCI post by VeloNation Press at 10:52 AM EST   comments Categories: Pro Cycling, Doping   Director General of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Jean-Pierre Strebel has announced the departure of UCI’s Anti-doping Service Manager Anne Gripper. Gripper led several extremely important initiatives within the UCI, including the implementation of the programme “100% against doping” and contributions to the development and launch of a series of anti-doping prevention modules entitled “True Champion or Cheat?”. She has also been credited with much of work with setting up of the biological passport system. Her decision to leave was based on "personal reasons", according the the UCI, and she will now return to her home country, Australia, and begin a new path with her career. Gripper expressed her wish for continued involvement in the fight against doping, and will look to act as a liaison with the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). “The work accomplished in the last few years, in particular with the biological passport, forms a basis which makes me very optimistic for the future of cycling and, more generally, of sport," said Gripper. "Today, a change in the fundamental culture is taking place within the teams, which play a major role in this field vis-à-vis the riders.” UCI President Pat McQuaid said Gripper had an "exceptional commitment" to her work and possessed "outstanding human qualities”. “The high quality of Ms Gripper’s work clearly contributed to the setting up of the biological passport, which we can consider as the most significant breakthrough in the anti-doping field in the last 20 years,” said McQuaid, expressing his wish to continue collaborating with Gripper in one way or another. Francesca Rossi will be Gripper's replacement as the Director of the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), and will begin her new position on March 5th.       comments Follow @Pro_Cycling Tweet Subscribe via RSS or daily email Contact the editor about this article Related Articles Details of year long, three million Swiss franc investigation into doping, Armstrong and the UCI unveiled by the CIRC Budget of three million Swiss Francs reported for Cycling Independent Reform Commission UCI announces its past will be investigated by new Cycling Independent Reform Commission UCI: Independent Commission announcement to come within a week Video: Brian Cookson says restoring credibility of cycling is most important priority Europcar confirmed in 2014 WorldTour as UCI announces final teams Lotto-Belisol receives confirmation of 2014 WorldTour registration