Cycling: BikeNZ to launch Peden drug inquiry

8.15pm

BikeNZ will launch an investigation tomorrow into the drug episode that has cost Anthony Peden his place at the Athens Olympics, the organisation's chief executive Rodger Thompson says.

Peden left New Zealand's Olympic track cycling squad in disgrace after taking a banned drug to treat his back and leg pain.

Thompson said Wayne Hudson, the legal advisor on the BikeNZ board, would be consulted before any action was taken against Peden.

"We'll apply the appropriate sanctions, whatever they maybe, after talking to Wayne," Thompson told NZPA today.

Australian-born Peden was due to contest the kierin in Athens on Wednesday but left his teammates in Europe on Friday and headed to his home in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Thompson said he had not yet spoken to Peden, but confirmed BikeNZ would remind all cyclists and coaches about its anti-doping policy in writing.

"What's happened is that an athlete has been irresponsible and has not consulted with their coach -- there are procedures you should be sticking to," Thompson said.

Peden admitted taking Triamcinoline, a cortisone-type drug which has no performance enhancing properties but which is on the banned list for in-competition periods under World Anti Doping Agency (Wada) regulations.

Thompson was unsure how often the cyclists were tested before they arrived in Athens after training for two months in Bordeaux, France, but said all New Zealand athletes were tested before the teams were named.

"Clearly I could never confirm that the rest of our cyclists are clean, but I'm definitely confident they are," Thompson said.

"At the end of the day all these athletes sign competitor consent forms with the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency, and they're well aware of BikeNZ's anti-doping policy.

"No athlete in New Zealand is totally versed on every single banned substance, but if you're an Olympic athlete you should be consulting with your personal coach or a BikeNZ coach."

Thompson said Peden had "absolutely no excuse" over the saga and knew he should have consulted his coach about taking medication.

Peden, a former Australian representative who qualified for New Zealand through residency, told the NZOC he visited a doctor in Germany and was prescribed the drug to relieve back and leg pain

Peden, 33, first advised NZOC officials about his plight last Monday, but he never consulted any NZOC or BikeNZ medical staff when taking the drug sometime between July 19 and 28.

He claimed language difficulties meant he was unaware the drug would still be in his body by the start of the in-competition testing period on August 1.

Team management made an immediate application to the International Olympic Committee for a retrospective exemption, which was declined on Wednesday.

Peden then made an individual appeal to Wada but was turned down yesterday.

- NZPA