The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has taken note of the statement made by UCI WorldTeam Bahrain Victorious on 20 August 2024, announcing the registration with immediate effect of Australian rider Robert Stannard and commenting the anti-doping proceedings against the rider.
The UCI is surprised by the content of the statement - even though this has since been removed from the team’s website - and wishes to clarify a few points.
First, the UCI wishes to emphasise that on 3 June 2024, the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal found that Robert Stannard had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method due to unexplained abnormalities in his Biological Passport (*) in 2018 and 2019 (see press release of 4 June 2024) and that his decision is now final.
In addition, Robert Stannard had the opportunity to provide supporting written explanations and expert evidence, both in writing and during a hearing. The Tribunal rejected the rider’s explanations and held that he used a prohibited substance and/or method as evidenced by his Biological Passport. In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules (UCI ADR), a four-year period of suspension was imposed. However, the start of the period of ineligibility was anticipated by the Tribunal in view of delays in the proceedings not attributable to the rider or the UCI.
Furthermore, the Tribunal also cancelled Robert Stannard’s race results obtained from 17 August 2018 (date of the appearance of the first abnormality) until 16 August 2022 pursuant to the UCI ADR and the Code, and imposed a fine corresponding to 70% of his average annual salary at the time of the ADRV.
In line with the above, the allegations made by Bahrain Victorious, such as “it has never been specified whether the rider is accused of using a prohibited substance or a prohibited method” and “through our medical teams’ analysis we could not conclude any wrongdoing” are clearly incorrect and misleading.
It is unfortunate that the UCI is put in a situation to correct statements by a UCI WorldTeam related to a matter as important as the fight against doping.
As the Tribunal's decision concerning Mr. Stannard is available on the UCI website, the UCI will not comment further on the matter.
(*) The Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) is an individual electronic record for each rider, in which the results of all doping tests collected as part of the ABP programme over a given period are collated. The International Testing Agency (ITA), the independent entity in charge of the UCI anti-doping operational activities on behalf of the UCI, manages the ABP programme in collaboration with the Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) of Lausanne, Switzerland (the APMU of Lausanne is associated with the World Anti-Doping Agency accredited Laboratory of Lausanne). ABP cases are prosecuted based on the opinion of an independent Expert Panel of the APMU.