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When they signed up to be professional riders with the UCI, they also signed up to be monitored by WADA. The rules are clear and can realistically not work any

When they signed up to be professional riders with the UCI, they also signed up to be monitored by WADA. The rules are clear and can realistically not work any other way: the majority of violations are on strict liability, it is on the athlete to establish how the substance entered their body if they want to claim contaminant.

kelnos 2y ago
> The rules are clear and can realistically not work any other way Here's one way it can work differently: if someone has to spend any amount of money to clear their name, WADA (or whomever) should have to reimburse them. It's criminal that the author of this article drained her savings merely to prove that she did nothing wrong.
- stefan_ 2y ago
  But she hasn't - WADA has appealed to CAS and will likely prevail. At which point she will get the 6 month or so backdated suspension she was always going to get in a case like this. The whole "spend all your money" part was entirely unnecessary.
  - lostlogin 2y ago
    Was it unnecessary? It’s her career and her reputation. It’s also on a time schedule where she has a limited period during which she can have success.
NovemberWhiskey 2y ago
There's very little voluntary about signing up to rules that you're required to sign up to in order to have a career in your field. The policy position that detection of prohibited drugs at arbitrary low levels should result in a punitive finding, even though it is not consistent with an attempt to enhance performance or with industry standards on permissible cross-contamination, is untenable. If the goal is to establish the "cleanliness" of sport, then subjecting people who have almost-certainly done no wrong to the same treatment as those who almost-certainly have in fact undermines the moral position.
- immibis 2y ago
  The goal is never to establish cleanliness, but to establish the perception that you are establishing cleanliness. Also, a lot of people just enjoy seeing others get punished.
- BrainInAJar 2y ago
  > There's very little voluntary about signing up to rules that you're required to sign up to in order to have a career in your field. The rules are signed well before a career even becomes an option. Everyone who holds a race license, even if you buy a bike yesterday & start your first race today, signs the anti-doping agreement
scott_w 2y ago
This might surprise you but it’s totally possible to sign up to rules necessary to do your job while also criticising said rules and wanting them to be better.

kelnos 2y ago

> The rules are clear and can realistically not work any other way Here's one way it can work differently: if someone has to spend any amount of money to clear their name, WADA (or whomever) should have to reimburse them. It's criminal that the author of this article drained her savings merely to prove that she did nothing wrong.

stefan_ 2y ago
But she hasn't - WADA has appealed to CAS and will likely prevail. At which point she will get the 6 month or so backdated suspension she was always going to get in a case like this. The whole "spend all your money" part was entirely unnecessary.
- lostlogin 2y ago
  Was it unnecessary? It’s her career and her reputation. It’s also on a time schedule where she has a limited period during which she can have success.

NovemberWhiskey 2y ago

There's very little voluntary about signing up to rules that you're required to sign up to in order to have a career in your field. The policy position that detection of prohibited drugs at arbitrary low levels should result in a punitive finding, even though it is not consistent with an attempt to enhance performance or with industry standards on permissible cross-contamination, is untenable. If the goal is to establish the "cleanliness" of sport, then subjecting people who have almost-certainly done no wrong to the same treatment as those who almost-certainly have in fact undermines the moral position.

immibis 2y ago
The goal is never to establish cleanliness, but to establish the perception that you are establishing cleanliness. Also, a lot of people just enjoy seeing others get punished.
BrainInAJar 2y ago
> There's very little voluntary about signing up to rules that you're required to sign up to in order to have a career in your field. The rules are signed well before a career even becomes an option. Everyone who holds a race license, even if you buy a bike yesterday & start your first race today, signs the anti-doping agreement

scott_w 2y ago

This might surprise you but it’s totally possible to sign up to rules necessary to do your job while also criticising said rules and wanting them to be better.