Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling today launched the team’s ethical cycling sport education program in a partnership with Bike Pure.
Team owner/manager Rochelle Gilmore initiated the program with the vision of educating the team’s young talent about the dangers of doping, risk of contamination and the importance of honest and fair sport.
Gilmore hopes that by equipping the team’s riders with the necessary knowledge in a positive, ethical environment, its young riders will see that they are able to be successful in sport without having to take performance enhancing drugs.
“I have a young team with the average age being 23 so I feel it’s important to educate my athletes about the risk of contamination, innocent thoughtless mistakes and the temptation or influences to dope,” Gilmore said.
Each member of the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team has embraced the program by voluntarily making a personal commitment to take a stand against doping in sport.
Commenting on the announcement, Andy Layhe, Co-Founder of Bike Pure said: “Bike Pure is delighted to announce a partnership with the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team. It’s an important time for the development of women’s cycling and Rochelle Gilmore has worked tirelessly to produce a dominant team that will be big players on the 2013 road scene”.
“We are strong advocates of women’s cycling. Rochelle’s desire for all her riders to adhere to Bike Pure’s principles reflects her own passion for fair, honest sport. It’s important that all riders are given the opportunity to perform in a positive environment and our partnership reflects this,” He said.
As part of the education program, Bike Pure will be working closely with the team by conducting education seminars to ensure that the Bike Pure principles of honesty and integrity are adhered to.
However, preventing accidental positives will be the main focus during the Bike Pure educational seminars. “Whilst systematic doping is not present in Women’s cycling, women are at high risk of returning a positive test due to accidently consuming a banned substance.
“Doping is not constantly on the mind of female cyclists and therefore they are not educated or experienced enough to know when they might be consuming a banned medication. Education is our motivation to partner with Bike Pure,” Gilmore said.
The Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team hopes that by collectively making the pledge to ride clean and with honour, it will encourage a new era for cycling.
Bike Pure is an independent not for profit organisation registered in Australia, promoting honest ethical cycle sport. We are strongly opposed to doping and stand together in a united position to begin a new era for cycle sport. Bike Pure has become an independent voice for honest, ethical cycling on a global scale, sending a powerful message that you don’t have to resort to taking illegal performance enhancing drugs to compete in cycle sport.
Further information about Bike Pure can be found at www.bikepure.org
