Mar 8th, '09. Bike Pure today announced that they have 10,000 members signed up to their mission to protect the integrity of cycling and promote clean cyclesport.  "Cycling fans worldwide deserve heroes they can believe in" Bike Pure say. 

Bike Pure was launched in December last year and through its members, media, rider and fan support hopes to get cycling's credibility back.  They are indendepent from UCI and all other sporting organisations, but have UCI endorsement of their goals. 
 

When a cyclist cheats the list of those affected is widespread.  Event organisers, team-mates, sponsors, fans, and commentators are all let down in different ways.  The media focus so much attention on the cheaters that the real heros stories get forgotten.  Its sadly true that whenever something great, or dreadful, happens in cycling nowadays the question of doping swirls around.  

Phil Liggett, the legendary voice of cycling shared an insight into how he is affected by doping in a luncheon speech in Adelaide Australia this January.  "If Lance Armstrong is ever announced as positive then my career is finished. I don't want to know anymore about these guys. What is the point in continuing to work as a journalist when these guys suck you in and make an absolute fool of you".  Liggett is a strong supporter of Lance and these comments were made in support of Amstrong's drug free status. 


"I saw some very angry cyclists in last years Tour de France, they also thought that they were getting around the corner [of doping]" Liggett shared. On Riccardo Ricco tests, "Ricco was a guy I was watching very closely, as I thought he was going to be a brilliant bike rider.  Now he's a cheat and he'll never come back" said a dejected Liggett.

Phil Liggett was seen wearing one of Bike Pure's arm bands in at the recent Tour Down Under.  

Wristband and headset spacer show BikePure support (c)RoadCycling.co.nz

Bike Pure encourages pro-cyclists and their teams to sign an 'Honour Code' to take a stand aganst doping.


This code includes the following statements;

• I will endeavor to do my best to achieve victory using only my talent and hard effort.
  
• I pledge never to use performance enhancing drugs, or knowingly bring cycle sport into disrepute.
  
• I agree that Drug cheats should be banned for life, from cycle sport.
  

The current list of affiliated pro-cyclists includes riders from many of the pro tour teams; Cervelo Test Team, AG2R, Silence-Lotto and Garmin-Slipsteam are represented.

Bike Pure also recognizes that some cyclists can change and leave behind past indiscretions. These cyclists are asked to sign a former doper honour code, stating the following;

• I understand that my past actions have damaged cycling 
  
• I apologise unreservedly to the supporters and fellow cyclist for becoming involved in drugs 
  
• I will endeavor to do my best to achieve victory using only my talent and hard effort 
  
• I pledge never again to use Performance enhancing drugs, or knowingly bring cycle sport into disrepute 
  
• If I were ever caught again I agree that I should be banned for life, from cycle sport
  

In their quest to increase the integrity of cycling, BikePure have held themselves up to the same high standard. Team Ouch signed up to the Team Honour Code promising not to bring the sport of cycling into disrepute. Team Ouch includes Floyd Landis who has recently returned to pro cycling after a two year ban imposed by UCI for failing doping tests in the 2006 Tour de France. Bike Pure told RoadCycling NZ "we sent Ouch an ultimatium to get the riders to sign the contracts, no response so we had to remove them".  Bike Pure also said they were under pressure from riders who wouldn't sign up whilst Landis was there.  Ouch's team affiliation has quietly been removed.
 

Bike Pure are fully supportive of the World anti-doping Agency (WADA)'s recently implemented system whereby professional sportsmen must inform authorities of their 'whereabouts' at certain times of the day in advance.

This system enables WADA to locate athletes for 'surprise' out of competition testing at very short notice. If an athlete has to change his location at short notice then he can inform authorities via text message or other means and make alternative arrangements. 



This method of testing has met with disapproval, some top athletes calling the new rules an intolerable harassment.
 "Top athletes shouldn't blame the authorities for the introduction of the new 'whereabouts' rules, they should blame the Landis's, the Basso's, the Ricco's and the Schumacher's of this world (to name a few!) for their inadequacies, failures and sheer stupidity for forcing authorities to bring about such measures due to their decision to take performance enhancing drugs" say Bike Pure. "It is only through the needless actions of the cheats that this new rule has been implemented."

Bike Pure aims to promote clean riders, moving the spotlight away from the dopers by working towards life bans for the cheats. "Those riders who choose to ignore all doping issues by simply putting their head in the sand is no solution, it in fact strengthens the dopers" they claim.

"There are clearly two divisions in professional cycling - the clean riders and the cheats. Yet those clean riders who remain hushed only bolster the dopers by their continued silence".

If you don't want to stay silent, have your say by joining BikePure and wearing a wristband or headset spacer, visit their website www.bikepure.org for more information.

About Bike Pure
Bike Pure is an independent, non profit organisation, committed to redirecting trust to Professional cycle sport. Bike Pure is an umbrella group for all concerned parties in cyclesport. A medium to let the fans, riders, teams and cycle trade join together in a united stance for an new era of clean cycling.