Kazakh Cycling Federation urges to ban free sale of performance-enhancing drug

"The performance-enhancing drugs have become quite popular among athletes. The fact that they are regularly used not only by Olympic champions, but also by amateur and young sportsmen is terrifying. For instance, some of Kazakhstani riders used erythropoietin (EPO) this year to enhance performance. As for Rekormon, it can be obtained at a drugstore without doctor's prescription or online," the official letter reads. Earlier it was reported that the Kazakhstan Cycling Federation and the National Anti-doping Center signed the memorandum of cooperation to monitor the use of doping prohibited by WADA and UCI by Kazakhstani athletes. A special anti-doping program developed by specialists of the center and the federation will be launched in Kazakhstan in order to monitor and prevent the use of drugs from the WADA and UCI's list of prohibited substances. This year Kazakhstani sport was rocked by a series of doping scandals. ProTeam Astana riders Iliya Davidenko, brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy and swimmer Elmira Aigaliyeva tested positive for doping.