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 The agreement with the UCI gave WADA something to show for the
behind-the-scenes discussions at its World Conference on Doping in
Sport.
Concerns over two major track countries, Jamaica and Kenya, are
still on the agenda at WADA's four-day summit.
Providing little detail of the commission and its mandate, WADA and
the International Cycling Union said in a joint statement late
Wednesday that they have agreed to "the broad terms under which the
UCI will conduct a commission of inquiry into the historical doping
problems in cycling."
The agreement followed a private meeting between new UCI President
Brian Cookson and WADA President Johan Fahey at the conference in
Johannesburg.
"They (Cookson and Fahey) further agreed that their respective
colleagues would cooperate to finalize the detailed terms and
conditions of the inquiry to ensure that the procedures and ultimate
outcomes would be in line with the fundamental rules and principles
of the World Anti-Doping Code," the statement said.
Cookson told The Associated Press earlier Wednesday about seeking
Armstrong's testimony.
Armstrong was banned for life in 2012 and there remain allegations
that UCI officials helped protect him from doping protocols while he
was winning his seven Tour de France titles.
"I would like to see Lance Armstrong come and give evidence, if he
has any evidence in particular on the kind of allegations being made
about him buying support or collusion from UCI officials," Cookson
told AP. "If those things are true, I'd like to hear about it and
I'm sure the commission would like to hear about it as well.
"As part of that (commission), we'll investigate allegations of the
UCI's behavior in the past and if there are any issues that come up
out of that, we will deal with them effectively."
Cookson, who was elected to lead the UCI in late September on
promises of confronting the sport's drug-stained past, said his body
had no power to reduce Armstrong's ban in return for him telling
what he knows, but said there would have to be "incentives" for some
people to testify.
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Cookson said the commission would likely start
work in early 2014 and he wanted it to be finished within 12
months.
In its main business in Johannesburg, WADA will vote on proposed
changes to its anti-doping code on Friday, and is expected to
bring in longer bans for serious dopers among other changes. The
new code will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, and in time for
the next Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
WADA is pushing for a doubling of bans for intentional doping
offenses from two years to four, ensuring a doping cheat will
miss at least one Olympics. That proposal, the most obvious
deterrent being considered, appears to have widespread approval,
although track and field's IAAF said it is not tough enough and
wants to close loopholes for athletes to get their sanction
reduced if they argue the doping wasn't intentional.
For Jamaica, WADA has provided a copy of its report into the
country's drug testing breakdown to Jamaican government and
anti-doping officials and has asked for their feedback before
any findings are announced.
One of the recommendations may be to get the United States
Anti-Doping Agency to enter into a partnership to help the
troubled Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission.
USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said that was being
considered after JADCO "reached out" following last month's
audit of the Caribbean island's anti-doping processes by WADA.
WADA also says it welcomes long-awaited moves this week by the
Kenyan government to set up an investigation into allegations of
widespread doping in the East African country's high-altitude
training bases. Kenyan authorities promised progress on their
investigation over a year ago.
[Associated
Press; GERALD IMRAY, AP Sports Writer]
Follow Gerald Imray at
http://twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP.
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