testing times

What doping controls are there at mtb events?

At a UCI-sanctioned event, urine and sometimes blood samples are taken after the race from the top finishers and a random selection of other riders. A chaperone informs each rider that they’ve been selected and escorts them into the Doping Control Centre. The urine collected is split into A and B samples, which are sent to a WADA-accredited lab. While the A sample is analysed, the B sample is stored securely. Samples can be frozen and re-analysed for up to 10 years. Away from the race itself, any rider of any age who’s competed in a UCI event can be required to provide a sample at any time. If a banned substance is found, that rider is disqualified and may be excluded from future events, usually for a period of four years.