AUSTRALIAN Tour de France contender Michael Rogers felt like a pin cushion yesterday after being subjected to the ramped up anti-doping controls in place for next week's Tour Down Under in Adelaide.
The Team Columbia rider, who was ninth overall in the 2006 French Tour and set to take the yellow leader's jersey in 2007 when he crashed out, revealed he had been tested four times in 24 hours.
Shortly after, he stood side-by-side in support with those who are behind the new testing controls - Federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis, Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority chief executive Richard Ings and Union Cycliste Internationale anti-doping manager Anne Gripper. The new measures will be carried out by ASADA, which has been commissioned for the race by the UCI. They were outlined yesterday by Ellis, who said: "All athletes at the Tour Down Under will face the most robust anti-doping regime ever in place at a cycling race held in Australia. Every athlete competing . . . will be tested."
The program includes:
Blood profiling of every cyclist before the event as part of the UCI's biological passport program.
Comprehensive and targeted blood and urine testing before and during the event, including the screening for erythropoietin (EPO) and its variants such as the third-generation strain known as CERA.
Human growth hormone testing and in-competition blood profiling of selected cyclists.
Placing selected urine and blood samples in ASADA's deep freeze facility, "The Tank", to store for future testing with new technology.
Sharing intelligence with the Australian Customs Service to enhance interception of prohibited substances destined for the race.
Rogers, who won the 2002 Tour Down Under and comes into this year's race with some good form after winning the time trial and finishing second in last week's road race at the Australian championships, welcomed the ramped up anti-doping program.
He has become accustomed to increased testing in recent years and said it was common for riders to be tested 30 to 40 times a year. But Rogers said it was only when, "I got a knock on the door this morning at 7am," yesterday that he realised the testing program at Tour Down Under had been intensified.
After submitting a blood test for the ASADA controllers at their request, he had been tested four times within 24 hours.
The first two tests (blood and urine) were under his team's internal independent testing program on Thursday morning. The third control was a urine test, again for ASADA, on Thursday evening.
"It is the tightest testing at not only an Australian event, but international event that I have been to," Rogers said.
"I have been racing professionally for 10 years, and that says something. It has been quite a busy 24 hours for me.
"It is one of the biggest races on the international calendar, especially now it comes under the ProTour. It is encouraging to see the anti-doping program has been stepped up to another level.
"Compared to five years ago, testing has come a long way. Just the general amount of testing has improved."
Rogers said there were times when he felt he was racing against drug cheats: "Yeah . . . certainly. You get the feeling, in the past. [But] I think the circle is getting smaller, and any advancement in drug testing to get the circle smaller is a positive for the sport.
"I'm not stoked about getting out of bed at 7 in the morning [to be tested]. But it's for the benefit for the sport. If that is what I have to do to have an even playing field, that's what I have to do, and that makes me happy."
Also backing the measures was Rogers's new teammate Mark Renshaw, who last year raced the Tour - then with the now disbanded Credit Agricole team - when seven riders were caught for doping.
"The more tests the better. It's more chance to catch the cheats, and it's working," Renshaw said.
"We saw last year it claimed a few scalps. Hopefully, it deters riders. I don't mind giving my time as long as it helps the sport clean up."
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