My name is Elin - A pro cycling lover's reflections

This will be hard to admit but the cycling sport has been a forum for people with strange view over doping, including many cyclists. Two Kazakh riders, Alexandre Vinokourov and Andrey Kashechkin have told the media that doping controls violate human rights, and similar things. Andrey Kashechkin was tested positive for a homologous blood transfusion following an unexpected control on August 1 in Belek, Turkey. Kashechkin's lawyer, Luc Misson, said that "he will base his argument on article 8 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights", which says that only public authorities can interfere in people's private lives, and that "the sports authorities are not the public authorities." Even collecting blood samples violates human rights, he said. Bullshit, I say. And doesn't this prove that the rider was a doper. Why would they otherwise fight against this doping test with such silly arguments? If they would win, sport will die, and all sportsmen can start using as much dope as they want, and at least I will stop watching sport.

To dope is not only bad, but also dangerous. Many athletes are actually playing Russian roulette with medical products they have no legitimate business using and no education in how to anticipate or manage different complications which may occur. I can understand that it seems to be an easy way to become a star by the help of illegal doping products but it is still illegal and you will be cheating if you use them. Plus performance shall not be put ahead of athlete safety, which is the fact at the moment.

Kashechkin's attorney said that

"If we lose, we will go to the court of appeal, then the Supreme Court of Appeal, then the European Court of Human Rights," he said. "And then we will be in a very good position. At the human rights court it would lead to a [favourable] decision at a world, if not a European level."

It is not against human right to take a doping test, and Andrey Kaschechkin would NOT have complained unless he had failed a doping test and knew that he was a cheater. No, he has gone through many out-of-competition-tests and has never before complained about it, so this case is just silly. No, I wish the European Court of Human Rights understands what is going on and reject his case ?cause it is not forbidden to collect blood samples and it is certainly not against human rights, ?cause if you are a sportsmen then you know that sometimes you will be tested for doping. And I feel pity about him if he yet hasn't understood the world of sport.