Ster Elektrotoer
Is this race worth following, winning or for that matter even being reported given it's a free for all anything goes type event by the report below
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... jun19news2
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No doping controls in Ster Elektrotoer
There were no doping controls at the first two days of the Ster Elektrotoer, according to Belgian Sportwereld, much to the peloton's surprise. Even the UCI race jury was surprised. "I see the soigneurs all look at me funny when I tell them that there are not anti-doping controls," said Dutch UCI commissaire Jan van Gestel.
"The UCI has an A list and a B list of races. The Ster Elektrotoer is on the B list," he explained. "That means it is up to the national federation to ask for doping controls. Maybe their Belgian colleagues will be in action Thursday when the race arrives there in La Gileppe?"
According to the UCI's rules, "If the UCI decides not to conduct any Testing at an International Event, the National Anti-Doping Organisation for the country where the event takes place, may initiate and conduct such Testing in coordination with and with the approval of the UCI or, if the UCI withholds its approval, with the approval of WADA. In such cases, Doping Control shall be governed by the anti-doping rules of that National Anti-Doping Organisation."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... jun19news2
________________________________--
No doping controls in Ster Elektrotoer
There were no doping controls at the first two days of the Ster Elektrotoer, according to Belgian Sportwereld, much to the peloton's surprise. Even the UCI race jury was surprised. "I see the soigneurs all look at me funny when I tell them that there are not anti-doping controls," said Dutch UCI commissaire Jan van Gestel.
"The UCI has an A list and a B list of races. The Ster Elektrotoer is on the B list," he explained. "That means it is up to the national federation to ask for doping controls. Maybe their Belgian colleagues will be in action Thursday when the race arrives there in La Gileppe?"
According to the UCI's rules, "If the UCI decides not to conduct any Testing at an International Event, the National Anti-Doping Organisation for the country where the event takes place, may initiate and conduct such Testing in coordination with and with the approval of the UCI or, if the UCI withholds its approval, with the approval of WADA. In such cases, Doping Control shall be governed by the anti-doping rules of that National Anti-Doping Organisation."
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Comments
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the type of race described by Paul Kimmage as a "Grand Prix de Chargers" ... i.e. one where there are no tests so the riders treat it as a free for all... There are still a few more of these existing on the calendar... I have my suspicion that a fair number of UCI 1.1 races do not have tests.**************************************************
www.dotcycling.com
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Let's say I'm a rider going to Ster Elektrotoer. I learn at the end of the first day of racing that there is no testing. Sweet! Let's binge! I'll take all the rapid-fire crap I have! Oh, right, I didn't bring any. I'll call my contact and get some tomorrow. Oh, but we're going into Belgium in two days and might get tested there. I'll wait after that, then. Oh, but then I'll only have two days of racing left and then I fall back on the out-of-competition test list. Since most things I could take that would give an immediate result will be in my system for a few days, it's risky but let's go. After all, what could go wrong, apart from getting caught, losing my contract, having to do reveal-all interview deals to get a reduced sentence, becoming the pariah of the peloton and never working in cycling again? All that is surely worth a stage win at Ster Elektrotoer!
If there's a reason not to be interested in Ster Elektrotoer, it's because it's a second-rank race that's held in the run-up to the Tour, so only attracts guys not selected for the Tour, starting their second block of the year with the goal of getting on form in time for the Cyclassics and post-Tour races. I'd rather there be controls, but if I had to pick one race this month I wouldn't mind running without controls, Ster Elektrotoer would be it. The stakes are just not there.0
