News Flash for June 22, 2004

Edited by John Stevenson

Australia's track cycling scandal

Cycling Australia welcomes inquiry

Riders deny involvement in doping

Cycling Australia this afternoon issued a statement welcoming the announcement by Australian Federal Sports Minister, the Honourable Rod Kemp, of an independent investigation into recent doping allegations.

Retired Supreme Court Justice, the Honourable Robert Anderson QC will conduct the investigation into the allegations made by Mark French in his evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"As we have said from the outset we are determined to get to the bottom of this issue and we welcome the support of the Federal Sports Minister in setting up this inquiry," said Graham Fredericks, Chief Executive Officer of Cycling Australia. "All of our cyclists, coaches and staff are fully prepared to cooperate with this investigation.

"They are understandably distressed by the allegations and believe they, like all Australians, are entitled to be considered innocent unless they are proven guilty of an offence," said Fredericks.

French yesterday gave permission for his testimony to the CAS to be used in an investigation. In that testimony French named the riders he alleges used his room at the Adelaide Australian Institute of Sport facility to inject performance-enhancing drugs.

"Although Mr French has given permission for his allegations to be used in an investigation, that permission has been given with several caveats attached," said Fredericks. "This means that at this stage we will not be publicly naming the cyclists at the centre of these allegations. But Mr Anderson will have full access to the relevant information to use in the conduct of his investigation."

Mr Anderson will report to the respective Boards of the Australian Sports Commission and Cycling Australia and his report will be made public, subject to privacy or other legal requirements.

Riders' statement

Members of the AIS / National Track Sprint Cycling program also issued a statement this afternoon. It is reproduced below in full.

Joint statement by members of the AIS / National Track Sprint Cycling program, 22 June 2004

We, the undersigned, are members of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) / Cycling Australia (CA) Track Sprint Cycling program, and would like to make the following statement in relation to the recent doping allegations.

As elite athletes we are regularly subjected to medical controls conducted under the auspices of the Australian Sport Drug Agency (ASDA), World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), Cycling Australia (CA), Australian Sports Commission (ASC), and the International Cycling Union (UCI).

At no time have any of us tested positive to the use of any banned substance. Our medical control records are attached to support this fact.

Through the AIS and CA, we are involved in an annual Drug Education program. AIS and CA staff are available to us at all times to answer any questions we have on the anti-doping policies of the ASC, CA and the UCI.

As a group we are committed to competing 'drug-free' and as such we are extremely disappointed and angry at recent ill-informed comments and innuendo that has cast a slur on our sport and us as individuals. We are upset that these unsubstantiated allegations are being treated as fact by the media, and by several other parties.

We were all investigated as part of the independent investigation by Mr Justin Stanwix and nobody within this group was found to have breached the ASC or CA anti-doping policy. Having been cleared of any wrong doing, we view these false allegations as unfair and damaging to both our reputations and our livelihoods.

Having said that we welcome yesterday's announcement of a further independent investigation and want it to be known that we will cooperate fully as we have nothing to hide.

We only ask that any such investigation be conducted swiftly so that this matter can be resolved and we can focus on preparing to represent Australia at the Athens Olympic Games.

Ryan Bayley, Jobie Dajka, Sean Eadie, Shane Kelly, Rosealee Hubbard, Anna Meares, Kerrie Meares (currently on leave due to injury)

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