Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation Board resigns to allow smooth transition to ITA anti-doping regime

The Board of the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) announced today that its four individual members have decided to resign from their positions with immediate effect. The Board informed Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Director General Amina Lanaya earlier today.

To enact the decision, the Board members formally lodged their respective resignations with the relevant Swiss authorities, namely the Swiss Company Register and Swiss Supervisory Board. As a result of the decision, the Swiss Supervisory Board immediately became responsible for the ongoing affairs of the CADF, during the remainder of the transition period of international cycling’s anti-doping operations to the International Testing Authority (ITA), which assumes responsibility for cycling’s anti-doping programme from 1 January 2021.

The CADF Board members collectively took the decision to tender their resignations in the interests of the smoothest possible transition to the ITA, allowing as much time as possible for the UCI to handle the shift in operations from CADF to the ITA ahead of the official start date of the ITA’s mandate.

"Following the UCI’s decision earlier this year to transfer global cycling’s anti-doping operations to the ITA, our duty and focus has been to ensure that clean riders’ rights are protected and that there is no anti-doping void in the sport," said CADF President Rune Andersen.

"With this new era for cycling’s anti-doping programme looming closer, and with our mission at the CADF now accomplished, we considered it in the best interest of the sport, and the clean cycling community, to allow as much time as practicable for the transition period ahead of the ITA assuming its responsibilities at the start of 2021," he added.

"It has been a privilege and an honour for the CADF to be at the helm of global cycling’s anti-doping programme these past 12 years. Following what was a troubling time for our sport, when doping was rife, international cycling became a pioneer by establishing a fully independent anti-doping body, separate from the governing body, and with zero conflicts of interest. That model has proven a huge success, and as cycling has become a cleaner, more trusted sport with CADF at the helm, it paved the way for other sports to follow suit with similar independent anti-doping and integrity units emerging in sports such as athletics, tennis, hockey and biathlon. This significant shift in how anti-doping and integrity is run is something that we, and cycling, are rightly proud of.

"We depart from our duties with the sport in a far healthier place than the CADF found it, and with cycling’s reputation intact. We are proud to have always fiercely defended the rights of clean riders, and wish the UCI, ITA and other cycling partners the best in the next phase of protecting cycling from doping."