I SUPPORT DRUG FREE SPORT

5,093 people have registered to say that they support drug free sport as of 11am, Thursday, 14 November 2007

The I Support Drug Free Sport campaign is a chance for race fans and athletes alike to show their support for a professional sport in which drug taking is not tolerated.

Here are the reasons for our campaign:

Professional cycling has been in turmoil for years now and 2006 has been the worst year so far.

* The 2005 Vuelta a Espana was won by Roberto Heras, who later tested positive for EPO.

* The 2006 Giro d?Italia was won by Ivan Basso, who was then named in the Operacion Puerto doping investigation.

* The 2006 Tour of Switzerland was won by Jan Ullrich, who was also named in the Operacion Puerto doping investigation.

* The 2006 Tour de France was won by Floyd Landis, who tested positive for testosterone.

Pro cycle racing is losing credibility and with it will go support from the sponsors and fans, which will lead to dozens of people losing their jobs. Liberty Seguros, Phonak and iShares have all declined to continue their sponsorship deals. How many more will follow if there is another scandal?

What is the only way to avoid another scandal? To ensure the riders do not take banned substances or use illegal blood doping techniques.

All that cycling fans ask is for believable heroes ? riders who do not take substances that are on the banned list.

We do not want a witch-hunt. We do not want to point the finger of accusation at individuals. We do not insist on super-human efforts fuelled by banned substances. We want authentic races, true results and believable heroes.

Many professional riders have already come forward to support the campaign, including Nicole Cooke (world number one), Thor Hushovd (Credit Agricole), Bradley Wiggins (Cofidis pro and Olympic medallist), Philippe Gilbert (FDJeux), Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel), Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas) and Pierrick Fedrigo (Bouygues Telecom).

What we really want is your support. It is the fans that make the difference.

You can register your support for the campaign by clicking here.

You can also obtain an I Support Drug Free Sport wristband by clicking here. (Each band carries a small charge to cover production and p&p costs.)

We would also welcome your comments on this issue and the I Support Drug Free Sport campaign. You can either email us at cycling@ipcmedia.com or leave a message on the CW forum here.

www.isupportdrugfreesport.com.