LeMond joins calls for anti-doping overhaul

Triple Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, pictured in 2007, on Thursday backed a new campaign for a more robust anti-doping drive to rid cycling of drug cheats in the aftermath of the Lance Armstrong scandal.

LAUSANNE - Triple Tour de France champion Greg LeMond on Thursday backed a new campaign for a more robust anti-doping drive to rid cycling of drug cheats in the aftermath of the Lance Armstrong scandal.

The group, which goes under the banner Change Cycling Now (CCN), includes the likes of fellow former competitors Jonathan Vaughters, an ex-teammate of Armstrong who now heads up the Garmin team.

It also includes German rider Jorg Jaksche, who served a doping ban in 2007, and Italian Gianni Bugno, head of the professional cyclists body.

The CCN group will meet for the first time in London this weekend under the supervision of co-ordinator Jaimie Fuller, chief executive of Australian sports clothing firm SKINS.

Fuller is already suing the International Cycling Union (UCI) for damages caused to his business by the Armstrong affair.

“(The UCI) is responsible for tarnishing the global image of the sport following the Lance Armstrong scandal,” he said, before pointing out the purpose of the London meeting.

“To develop a plan of action to profoundly change the governance of cycling and the establishment of truly independent doping controls.”

Travis Tygart, the president of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is also due to take part in the meeting.