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Daily Dope: Hello DNA Testing!

Results from the AIGCP meeting yesterday:

Before the end of the year the AIGCP will ask that the riders authorize the UCI to collect their DNA samples, and, with the start of 2007, any new professionals have to automatically authorize the collection of their DNA.

My vague understanding of this is that current Pros will be asked -- but cannot be required -- to submit DNA samples. In the future, all incoming Pros will be required as part of their contract or license to submit them. Should be interesting to see the current riders' response. In the Op-Puerto context DNA samples have been refused, but not every rider is listening to his defense attorney.

Oh, and as for those Op-Puerto guys, the AIGCP folks also got agreement that no team would hire someone under investigation for doping. More guilt-til-proven-innocent, and I fail to see how hiring Floyd Landis while his case is pending matters; a more egalitarian approach might simply call for poison pill provisions in every contract for convictions, rather than throwing out everyone implicated, even if they're innocent. Also, what is "implicated"? Is Basso still implicated? What about people for whom the Op-Puerto case was never pursued? Does a whisper campaign suffice to deny a rider a contract? Nothing in the CN report as to whether the AIGCP folks tackled these inconvenient matters.