Ethics and Corruption in Cycling

chasteity and Corruption in CyclingEthics in period of diddle- The Case of CyclingIntroductionThe Higher Moral and estimable GroundConclusionBibliographyIntroductionAs one of the worlds much demanding variants, cycling extracts as strong as expects a maximum mathematical operation from its professional discovericipants. It pits them straightway against the worlds best in the sport on almost each outing, thus creating a field of competition whereby they argon judged, and rated in almost every outing against the leading stars. Unlike other aggroup sports whereby ones performance is measured, and or gauged against those of a like acquirement or position, cycling does not provide this cushion or hedge. Ones performance comes under direct scrutiny each, and every outing with clipping sheet comparisons to indicate ones standing, be it the mountain climbing segment, sprints, or over completely balanced performance through a make up or encumbrance. The demands of strength, endurance, intestinal fortitude, and mental stamina that is spread in most campaigns over days, and in the case of the Tour de France, weeks, creates an atmosphere of pressure to perform that is unknown in around(prenominal) other type of professional sport.Dr. Alejandro Lucia (Cheung, 2003), a world recognized authority in the physiology of professional cycling, has give ind that the training as swell as discipline required to participate exact a high mental toll that is also a factor of the high stress of physical instruct as well as genetics. As would be expected, each country with major participants in professional cycling has its own cycling federation, however, the centre Europenne de Cyclisme, European Cycling Union, is the confederation that oversees the Union Cycliste Internationale, International Cycling Union, which is the professional agreement that oversees professional cycling events glob every last(predicate)y (UEC, 2007). This electric presidency has the r esponsibility for the issuance of licenses to professional cyclists, on with the enforcement of rules and regulations, which in this instance includes doping (UCI, 2007a). The professional cycling devisions that the the UCI oversees atomic number 18 road cycling events, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, BMX, Trials, indoor cycling, and para-cycling (UCI, 2007a).The International Cycling Union is a non-profit-making organization that was founded on 14 April 1900, and is headquartered in Aigle, Switzerland (UCI, 2007b). The organizations aims representThe regulation of professional cycling on the international level,The promotion of cycling internationally, in every country as well as at all levels,The organization of professional cycling World Championships for all cycling divisions,The encouragement as well as maintenance of friendly and professional relationships betwixt all cycling divisions,The promotion of sporting ethical codes as well as fair childs defraud,The deputati on of professional cycling along with the defence of its interests internationally,And the collaboration with the International Olympic Committee concerning cycling events held in the Olympics (UCI, 2007b).It is item 5. the promotion of sporting ethics as well as fair play, along with morals that represents the focus of this examination. And in nurtureing with such, the International Cycling Union has adopted a Code of Ethics that defines and specifies the conduct of action, and rules governing all professional cycling events (UCI, 2007c). It specifies that all executive, management, administrative, cyclists, and other several(prenominal)s and associations in any way affiliated as well as approach path under the aegis of the International Cycling Union must adhere to said Code of Ethics (UCI, 2007c). It sets forth that on a daily basis, all participants must comply with the rules of the Code of Ethics with respect to (UCI, 2007c)human dignity, doctrines of nondiscrimmination conc erning race, gender, ethic origin, gender, philosophical as well as governmental opinions, religion, marital staus, or any other forms of discrimination for whatever reason,the principle of nonviolence in any form as well as the exerting of any type of pressure, and or anguish by any means, specify physical, professional, mental, and sexual,the maintenance of haleness,to hold the antecedence of the best interests of the sport on a daily basis,to hold the priority of the interests of the sport as well as its athletes regarding financial interests,to protect the environment,to maintain neurality in semipolitical issues, andOlympism.Within this Code it is required that all parties uphold the principles as well as interests of professional cycling as well as refraining from any behaviour that might jeopardize the sport, and or the reputation of the UCI (UCI, 2007c). Within this framework is the important image of integrity, which means the firm adherance to a code of moral or art istic values (Interactive Playground, 2007). The preceding is specially inportant in the context of this examination as it foc offices on the ethical and moral questions of drug spend in the sport. Integrity represents a skill that is learned over time (Interactive Playground, 2007). As a part of the UCI Code of Ethics, integrity, under Article 4, is stated as the fact that all parties associated with the UCI shall thitherfore refrain from the asking for, acceptance of, and or proposal, either directly or indirectly, that any payment as well as commission, along with any advantages and or services of any type that has not been agreed to or authorized by the UCI shall not be under bring inn (UCI, 2007c). Furthermore, under inetgrity it also states that when any type of offers of the aforementioned variety are made, that the UCI be so informed (UCI, 2007c). state conditions under integrity, Article 5, go on to add that parties as covered under their association with the UCI can onl y accept symbolic gifts that are bestowed in the spirit of freindship as a matter of local custom, and that any other types of gifts are to be forwarded to the UCI (UCI, 2007c). The Code goes on to cover such fields as Conflict of Interests, and Confidentiality in laying out specific terms of conduct (UCI, 2007c).In keeping with the foregoing, the UCI has established an Ethics Commission, that has been granted authority in the following areas (UCI, 2007c)to oversee and ensure that all facets of the Code are respected,to field and receive complaints with regard to any infringement to the Code,to provide advice as well as assistance concerning ethical matters in all phases of the Code,to provide advice on the obviateance as well as resolution of conflicts of interests,to recommend sanctions as a gist of offences against the Code,to set forth measures for the industriousness and adherence to the Code, andto put forth proposals recommending programmes to teach and advise on ethics.Th e foregoing represents an exceedingly important facet in this discussion in that the UCI has taken an active stance in the areas of ethics, and morals, as defined by integrity. The foregoing represents a minute aspect in the examination of breaches, and scandals that turn over befallen the sport of cycling that have made the news recently, especially in the instance of the most recent achiever of the Tour de France.The Consequences of Individual ActionsAs indicated in the UCIs Code of Ethics as well as by the actions taken by this organization as far back as the 1960s when an article representing doping was introduced into the organizations rules, drugs have been a key consideration in ensuring that a level as well as cartelworthy representation of the sport was, and is a part of its operation (UCI, 2007d). The preceding focus was push enhanced by the following subsequent(prenominal) rules, and regulations (UCI, 2007din 1966 a similar article, on doping as referred to in 196 0, was added to the UCI Technical Guide,in 1967, the UCI published its initiatory list representing substances that were prohibited,in 1967 the UCI put into motion the prime(prenominal) sanctions taken against propelrs that refuse to undergo testing,1967 represented the publishing of the first Medical Control Rules, which were the forerunner to the Anti-doping RulesThe above historical understanding of the stance, and active programmes of the UCI is important in the context of recent events on doping in the sport of cycling. This examination shall cover the most noteworthy of these types of events, noting that doping issues have been a part of individual athlete rule broaching since the 1960s (UCI, 2007d).The Tour de France represents professional cyclings most premier, and prestigious event. Its scale and social and cultural significance demands the academic attention that it has not of all time received (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 1). Covering in excess of 4,000 kilometres thr oughout France, and a few neighbouring countries, millions of on-hand spectators as well as hundreds of millions across the globe via television, and other forms of media follow the event. commencement exercise conducted in 1903, the Tour has been held as a pinnacle of sporting forthrightness that shows athletes at their best over three weeks of grueling competition through mountains, and at once stages that average around 150 plus kilometres per day (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 228). Waddington (1998, p. 161) advises that a good Tour takes one year off your life, and when you finish in a grownup state, they reckon three years You cant describe to a normal person how tired you feel. They add that fatigue starts to kick in on the Tour after ten days if youre in good shape, and after five days if youre not in your best condition physically (Waddington, 1998, p. 161). Waddington (1998, p. 161) adds that Then, it all just gets worse and worse, you dont cat sleep so much, so you dont recover as well from the days racing, so you go into your reserves, you get more knackered, so you sleep less Its simply a vicious circle. Robert Millar, a Scottish cycling professional who rode in the Tour, goes on to state that It takes two weeks to recover from a good Tour, three months to recover from a bad one (Waddington, 1998, p. 161).This event is being utilized in the context of this examination as a answer of the intense competition between riders to look good on the world stage in cyclings biggest event. The preceding translates into the fact that the Tour de France cannot avoid seeing an increase in the demands on competitors with the ever-growing importance of television, whose systematic coverage of every stage has also brought in, on top of the necessary battle for the stage win, the necessary battle for permanent figurehead in front of the TV cameras, on that pointfore making races ever faster (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 229). They add that there is a long-stand ing presence of doping in the Tour brings us back to the excessive nature of the race (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 229). The first instance of doping in the Tour de France occurred in 1924 as a result of the confessions of the Pelissier brothers who admitted using cocaine for the eyes, thats chloroform for the gums (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 230). The next of import doping issue occurred in 1955 when Tour riders Jean Mallejac, Ferdi Kubler and Charly Gaul admitted to winning substances (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 229-230). Doping issues were subsequently repeated in (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 230)1966 representing the first year in which -doping tests were carried out in the Tour de France (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 230).In 1975 the first rider tested affirmatory for doping,In 1977 another incident was uncovered,In 1980, there was another issue of a rider testing positive for drugs.But, the most noted example came in 1998 when the winner of the Tour, Marco Pantini tested pos itive in a subsequent race called the Tour of Italy in 1999 (Appleyard, 2006). In 2000, Frenchman Richard Virengue, a celebrated rider in the Tour, admitted to using drugs during a Festina trial (Dauncey and Hare, 2003, p. 232), with the biggest scandal taking discover in 2006 when major Tour riders Jan Ullrich, a winner of the Tour in 1997, and Ivan Basso where forced to withdraw from the event (Leicester, 2006). But, for the first time in the biography of the Tour de France in 2006, the winner was later declared ineligible and stripped of his title after testing positively for drugs (Bagratuni, 2006). Subsequent testing after the Tour was completed found that Landis tested positive for the 17th stage to Morzine that he won in what has been termed spectacular fashion after a long ride over 130 kilometres that included three major alpine peaks (Bagratuni, 2006). The discovery wound up causing the cancellation of a later racing event in the Netherlands as well as Denmark, and se t off an international furor over doping that had been building for years (cbc.ca, 2006a). The scandals brought back to the forefront past cycling scandals, as a result of the magnitude of the 2006 Tour winner being stripped of his crown. A lot of journalists stated that the 1998 scandals nearly killed the Tours integrity as well as value when an employee of the Festina team was arrested with a carload of performance enhancing drugs that included one called erythropoietin (EOP), which is a hormone that helps the blood carry more atomic number 8 which thus lets riders carry on longer as well as faster (cbc.ca, 2006a).That incident lead to the arrest of six members of the Festina cycling team, out of baseball game club utilized in the Tour, who admitted to the use of drugs that aided in their performance, along with the leader of the Credit Agricole team Christophe Moreau, who later in that same year tested positive for anabolic steroids (cbc.ca, 2006a). The litany continues w ith the following incidents as well as allegations (cbc.ca, 2006a)2002 apothegm Stefano Garzelli, the leader of the Vini Caldirola team (cbc.ca, 2006) tested positive for probenecid. The preceding is a diuretic that is often used to mask the presence of other drugs.2003 saw Igor Gonzalez, a Spanish cyclist, being banned from the Tour de France after he tested positive for an anti-asthma.2004 saw the law of nature in France seize EPO, amphetamines as well as male hormones, and the arrest to Cofidis team cyclists.Lance Armstrong, the most celebrated Tour winner was accused of doping allegations, and later cleared.The preceding has damaged the reputation, and sporting fairness of cycling, and represents a long list of doping scandals that have also rocked other sports. The spectacular performances of the 1970s, and 80s East German swimming teams saw a large number of stellar performers later come down with negative health and side effects such as liver cancer, organ damage, psychol ogical defects, hormonal changes and infertility that called into question that they might have taken performance enhancing drugs (cbc.ca, 2006b). Kornelia Ender, the winner of four gold and the silver gold medals during the 1972, and 76 Olympics revealed she had been taking drug injections since she was 13 (cbc.ca, 2006b). Her situation mirrors that of other East German swimmers Barbara Krause, four gold and silver medals, Carola Nitschke, and others (cbc.ca, 2006b). Incidents of doping scandals hit the 1983 Pam Am Games that was held in Caracas, Venezula, U.S. Track and Field, professional baseball and football in the United States, and a host of other sports (cbc.ca, 2007a). The pressures to perform in all manner of sports is clear, and in the case of professional cycling has been particularly damaging owing to the international nature of the sport.The Higher Moral and Ethical GroundThe preceding examples as well as histories of cycling, and other scandals have left hand the sp ort in a serious state of affairs. These events, and created a situation that has put ,,, cycling at a fork in the road (Case and Sachs, 2006). The reverse of Floyd Landis to pass drug tests after winning the Tour de France resulted in the disbanding of the entire team as sponsors canceled their contracts (Abt, 2006). Gibbs (2000, p. 4) opens up a broad range of considerations in the case of ethics that takes into account that it, ethics, brings with it the responsibility for others. He states that ethics also takes into account that We also are responsible for each other in a joint way when justice requires us to become present, one-to-another (Gibbs, 2000. p. 4). A situation that is made even more the case in cycling as a team is built to promote one rider, and when that rider or members of the team fails, the entire team suffers. The case of the collapse of Floyd Landis team after the 2006 Tour scandal is conclusion of this point. Gibbs (2000, p. 4) stated the foregoing above, which in a team sport such as cycling makes such a bind more important. He adds that we are bound asymmetrically to each other, and ethical mutuality is possible only because of that excess of responsibility (Gibbs, 2000. p. 4). And add that such represents a community whereby the actions of one move the standings of others. As a community, cycling represents a prime example of the foregoing.Mottram (2003, p. 52) brings forth an interesting proposition that The motivating factors for drug misuse do not inevitably lie in the hands of the athlete. He (Mottram, 2003, p. 52) points to a number of studies whereby the majority of athletes, coaches, medical practitioners and others involved in sport do not save the use of performance-enhancing drugs. There is an however he states, which represents that these results may reflect the respondents ethical and moral attitudes to the problem, but in practice the pressures of competition may compel them to take a more pragmatic approach to dr ug taking (Mottram, 2003, p. 52). Gibbs (2000, p. 4) adds to the foregoing in stating that ethics are the will, conscious intentions, deliberate choices, or the perfection of an individual rational life. Sports, and in this instance cycling, embody rules of fair play, ethics, and other value systems that the public idealizes, and seeks to imagine in a world of uncertainty, corporate, and political corruption. Fans, and more importantly children, tend to view winning athletes as role models, thus when that trust is shattered it damages not just the individual, but the sport as a whole. Dauncey and Hare (2003, p. 182) describe this as The spectators ethical analysis of the conduct of their favorite riders is arguably more complex than that of the Tour organizers (limited to the rules of the race) or that of the French state (limited to French law and Republican values towards sport) or that of cycle sports international ruling bodies such as the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).Co nclusionEthics is a concept, ideal, and principle that is rooted in moral philosophy. Platos dialogues delves into the question of the subjectivity or objectivity of morality provides the focus for the earliest complete works of philosophy (Graham, 2004, p. 1). Our belief, and use of moral values represents an evolution of the human spirit that is traced back to Plato, and his teacher Socrates. They held that there is a radical difference between the world of facts, and the world of values, between physis and nomos to use the Greek words, the difference being that when it comes to matters of value, the concepts of true and false have no meaningful application (Graham, 2004. p. 1). Thus, Graham (2004, p. 1) holds that By implication, then, in ethics there is no scope for proof and demonstration as there is in science and mathematics ethical argument is a matter of rhetoric, which is to say, of persuading people to believe what you believe kind of than proving to them that the beli efs you hold are true. Rist (2001. p. 1) states that there is a core concern in ethics that is widely admitted to be a crisis in contemporary Western debate about ethical foundations. He tells us that we are members of a big community and that what binds us together in a livable ordination is the belief, and practice of ethics as a matter of trust (Rist, 2001. p. 205).He (Rist, 2001. p. 119) brings up the foundational principle of the problem of the relation between fairness and justice (in what circumstances and by what criteria should people be treated equally, and that rules are seemingly needed if fairness as well as rights are to be enforced. He continues that ethics refers to the good life for humans as a whole, and that morality is limited to what we are told we ought, or more likely what we ought not to do (Rist, 2001, p. 120). Hare (1997, p. 1) tells us that ethics can also be termed as a moral philosophy whereby it represents the point that philosophers come snuggled to practical issues in morals and politics. Outka and Reeder (1993, p. 29) advise that the idea representing moral philosophy is and has been central to the history of philosophy and figures prominently with regard to recent moral, legal, and political thought and action. They bring forth the interesting proposition that there is agreement on very general principles (of morality) such as the Golden Rule, and noise over more specific precepts, or that there is agreement over general moral ends and disagreement over particular means or strictly factual considerations. Morality represents the concept of does and donts, and that the mark of a civilized society is that its members share this concept, for only because they have it do civilized people concede that human conduct everywhere is properly judged by standards accessible to members of societies other than their own, whose opinions they are not entitled to ignore (Outka and Reeder, 1993, p. 29). The preceding is central to th is discussion of the ethical, and moral questions of drug use in cycling.The Code of Ethics as defined by the International Cycling Union has nine key points, representing (UCI, 2007c)human dignity,principles of nondiscrimmination concerning race, gender, ethic origin, gender, philosophical as well as political opinions, religion, marital staus or any other forms of discrimination for whatever reason,the principle of nonviolence in any form, as well as the exerting of any type of pressure and or harassment by any meas, specify phyical, professional, mental and sexual,the maintenance of integrity,to hold the priority of the best interests of the sport on a daily basis,to hold the priority of the interests of the sport as well as its athletes regarding financial interests,to protec the environment,to maintain neurality in political issues, andOlympism.The foregoing harkens back to Gibbs (2004, p. 4) statement that we are responsible for each other in a mutual way when justice requires us to become present, one-to-another. He adds that we are bound asymmetrically to each other, and ethical mutuality is possible only because of that excess of responsibility. That sense of community represents what the International Cycling Union is, and thus the highly damaging effects of individual actions to the whole. As the overall governing body of cycling, the International Cycling Union seeks to make these principles a reality, however, it has failed to demo these into the consciousness of some of its members, which represents a real source for concern. It, the taking of drugs, has been stated by the International Olympic Committee in the following manner (Mottram, 2003, p. 52-53) the use of doping agents in sport is both unhealthy and contrary to the ethics of sport, it is necessary to protect the physical and spiritual health of athletes, the values of fair play and of competition, the integrity and unity of sport, and the rights of those who take part in it at whatever level.It, drug use, represents a condition that is contrary to the very principles upon which sport is based (Mottram, 2003, p. 53). Dubin (1990) states that Sport is considered as character building, teaching the virtues of dedication, perseverance, endurance and self-discipline. He adds the important observations that sport helps us to learn from defeat as much as from victory, and team sports foster a spirit of co-operation and interdependenceimport(ing) something of moral and social values andintegrating us as individuals, to bring about a healthy, integrated society drug abuse would have no place in sport (Dubin, 1990). Thus, the question, in light of the preceding examples of drug use, is why so many athletes have resorted to cheating, and Why are the rules that govern sport often regarded as obstacles to be overcome or circumvented rather than as regulations designed to create equality of competitive opportunity and to define the parameters of the sport? (Dubin, 1990). The u nfair advantage of the use of drugs in sport lessens the outcome, and masks the potential of those who have superior abilities that are hidden by cheaters. It reduces the concept of sport itself, which is defined as an activity, pastime, and competition (Allwords.com, 2007). The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, 2007) states The spirit of sport means competing fairly and performing to the best of your abilitythe pursuit of excellence with applaud.The international implications of doping in sport has drawn the attention of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2005) which drafted doping in sports, whereby it stated that sport should play an important role in the protection of health, in moral, cultural and physical education and in promoting international understanding and peace. The preceding is a broader application of the meaning and purpose of sport than addressed in this examination, but nevertheless is an impor tant facet in the understanding of the attention and implications of sport in our lives, as stated by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, 2007). Such higher ideals were and are behind the International Cycling Unions Code of Ethics, and the personal as well as individual responsibility of each and every person as well as organization affiliated or associated with it. Loland (2002, p. 143) advises that fair play is commonly understood as a set of norms for rule conformity and justice. He continues that (Loland, 2002, p. 144)Fairness, represents when Parties voluntarily engaged in sport competitions ought to act in accordance with the shared ethos of the competitions if this ethos is just.And that fair play provides for an equal platform of rules, regulations, methodologies and systems whereby competitors are given equal opportunity to perform by eliminating or compensating for significant inequalities that the competitors cannot influence in any significant way and for which they can not be held responsible.Loland (2002, p. 144) states that unless there is fair play, then the performance of athletes is not based upon talent, but some hidden advantages that corrupt the outcome and prompts inequality. The use of substances to enhance sports performance represents an issue that is as old as sport itself (Mottram, 2003. p. 307). Fair play is the operative concept behind the rules and regulations of the International Cycling Union, and is the ethical and moral foundation. The efforts of the ICU, as put forth by McNamee and Parry (1998) is that the moral structure of sport in terms of an implicit social contract (and thus to offer a rationale for why we should condemn cheating and so forth) needs further careful exploration through studies of both the history of sport and the contract tradition. Midgley (1974. p. 143) continues that the social contract is just one sort of analogy for rudimentary moral structures that seem to bind societies together, as a conceptual tool used by the prophets of the Enlightenment to derive political obligation from below rather than from above. Fairness and justice go to the root of modern civilization as the basis for order, and cooperation. Hare (1970. p. 179) argues that it is our duty to obey the rule always keep your promises is simply part of a game (the institution of promising, in this case), and that we could just as easily decide not to play, in which case the duty would evaporate. He concludes that For unless one accepts this principle, one is not a subscribing member of the institution which it constitutes, and therefore cannot be compelled logically to accept the institutional facts which it generates. (Hare, 1970. p. 179).The preceding are the principles and reasons for the conception of the International Cycling Union and its binding Code of Ethics on its members. It is the duty of these members to uphold and adhere to the principles of this Code as it represents the foundation for public trust and belief in the fact that the outcome of competitions reflects honest and accurate performances. The Play the Game Conference held on 10 November 2005 issued a declaration that best sums up that reasons for fairness, honest, integrity, morals and ethics in sport (Pro Cycling News, 2005). It calls for the organizing bodies within sports toEnsure that corruption, is eliminated from sports,And that the integrity of sports management is upheld by maintaining ethical behaviour,Through a demonstration of commitments to anticipate corruption.Corruption in sport represents any activity that changes the outcome from what it would have been if everyone adhered to the rules. It thus then provides the public with a true recording of performances in an orbital cavity they can trust and believe in. The pressures to perform mean little if such is aided by unfair advantages that skew results, thus it is the duty of the monitoring organization to enforce the rules as strictly as possible to mini mize cheating, as well as to administer strong drug testing. The community of cycling is larger than the athletes and members of the International Cycling Union. It includes every spectator that has and will ever watch the sport. In light of the recent and numerous scandals, much needs to be make to re-establish a platform of trust that the public can look ate and believe that the ills of the past, are in fact in the past. Such will pay back cycling to its former prominence, and help to further bound the community of athletes and fans to fair play, ethics and morality.BibliographyAbt, S. (2006) Cycling Shunned by sponsors, Landis team dies. 15 August 2006. Retrieved on 17 April 2007 from http//www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/15/sports/bike.phpAllwords.com (2007) sport. Retrieved on 18 April 2007 from http//www.allwords.com/query.php?SearchType=3Keyword=sportgoquery=Find+itLanguage=ENGAppleyard, B. (2006) Drugs and Debauchery. 3 July 2006. Vol. 135. New StatesmanBagratuni, J. (2006) T our winner Floyd Landis tests positive in latest cycling shock. 27 July 2006. Retrieved on 17 April 2006 from