Orica-GreenEdge’s ‘Vance Review’ to hopefully conclude July 2013
Orica-GreenEdge’s Stuart O’Grady (left) and sports director Matt White before the start of the Down Under Classic in Adelaide.
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Vance not certain if team will follow Sky’s zero tolerance policy
Nicki Vance, chosen to lead the Orica-GreenEdge external review into the team’s policies, procedures as well as riders and staff, believes that it will take between six and eight months to reach a conclusion.
Vance, who has been at the forefront of the anti-doping fight since working with the Australian Sports Drug Agency (now the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority) in the late 1980s and who now works as a consultant in the field, finalised her agreement with the team on Tuesday when she arrived in Europe from her native Australia.
Speaking to Cyclingnews from Germany following Orica-GreenEdge’s announcement of the review, Vance said she was excited to be playing a pro-active role in positive change for the sport.
“I’ve been involved in this game now for 23 years and cycling was the original sport we focussed on back in the early ’90s,” Vance said. “So I’ve had a lot to do with cycling over the years – both collecting samples myself and lobbying for change with the UCI.
“The last few months I’ve been following it quite closely, just through my own interest and reading Tyler Hamilton’s book and all sorts of things. I’m quite excited about the opportunity to work with them because it’s been a long time coming. The Lance Armstrong case has blown it all open.
“I think GreenEdge has now got the opportunity to lead the way and I’m delighted to be part of it.”
While the recent revelations that have been uncovered throughout the USADA investigation into Lance Armstrong and his associates have not come as a shock to Vance, she did admit to being astounded by the sophistication of the doping programs and also the fact that it was able to continue for so long.
“It’s difficult to imagine that the UCI for a start hasn’t done more,” said Vance. “I think in more recent years the UCI has
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