PARIS (AP) — International cycling federation president Pat McQuaid has renewed his call for first-time doping offenders who test positive for EPO to be suspended for four years instead of two.
McQuaid, who also said there won't be a decision before next year on Tour de France champion Alberto Contador's doping case, told L'Equipe newspaper on Monday he would look to take his campaign for a tough line on EPO to national cycling federations.
"Personally, I'm in favor of increasing the length of the suspension," said McQuaid, who supported the tougher punishment in an interview with The Associated Press last month. "There should be a four-year ban for those who take EPO. We're going to propose that soon to the national federations and they will need to be on the same line as us. Because if we need to ask for CAS arbitration too often, it wouldn't go ahead."
The Spanish cycling federation is set to determine whether Contador is banned for two years after testing positive for clenbuterol during the Tour. Contador, a three-time Tour champion, blames contaminated meat for his positive test.
"At the end of August, along with WADA, we gave Contador the chance to explain himself," McQuaid said. "Twenty-four hours later, he told us this story of the contaminated meat. We asked experts to conduct a study to see if his version is credible. There won't be a decision before the end of the year."
Contador risks losing this year's Tour title and could face a two-year ban if found guilty of using clenbuterol, a banned muscle-building and weight-loss steroid.
McQuaid also spoke about the possibility of handing reduced suspensions to riders convinced of using "lighter" substances.
"We should make a difference between light and heavy products," McQuaid said. "EPO is serious, that should be a four-year ban. Ventolin, for example, could be six or nine months."
McQuaid also claimed that cycling is the cleanest of all sports and that most of the riders are not taking performance enhancing substances.
"Through our biological passport (program), we have noticed that the parameters were improving," McQuaid said. "Most of the riders are clean."
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