Slipstream Leads the Charge in the Fight Against Doping

Cozza and team Slipstream plan on racing, and winning, clean

It is well known in the cycling world that Jonathan Vaughters and the Slipstream team are at the forefront in the fight against doping. Steven Cozza, the 22 year old pro out of Petaluma, California, spoke with me about doping in cycling between training for the Tour of California earlier this week. An easy-going guy, Cozza explained the Slipstream anti-doping mantra over a burrito at Solo Pollo in Petaluma. “The team (Slipstream) is still dedicated to clean cycling, we are still tested by A.C.E. (The Agency for Cycling Ethics) and this year they’ll be doing quite a few tests throughout the year on us. Plus, other teams have adopted the same program, so we feel we have kind of started a movement in cycling.”

Cozza has only been with Slipstream for a short time, so he is still getting used to the whole process of medical testing. “It’s kind of a hassle for the athletes to be tested so much,” he says, “but we’re all starting to get used to it. I think it will feel normal after awhile.” Another benefit of frequent testing for Cozza is “then we don’t have to race against guys that are 100 times faster than us (laughs).” Benefit indeed.

So how does the whole process work? Cozza explained that more times than not, the testers typically arrive early in the morning. “They (the UCI medical control officers) usually visit me at around 7:00 in the morning, but on a race day they’ll sometimes wake you up at 5:00 to be tested. We call them the vampires.”

The UCI's commissioner of doping Anne Gripper typically dispatches her "vampires" early in the morning

However, he cautions that he is not necessarily in agreement with the “get to them early” mantra of the testers. “If they (the UCI) have the opportunity to test later or closer to the start of a race, I don’t see why they don’t, because when they do it at 6:00 in the morning, I could easily fill myself up with blood, take something . . . . if they test you right before the start, there’d be no time to do that. But I think testing is getting better, look at the Tour de France last year.”

When speaking about the past and riders that have betrayed the trust of teammates and fans, he says he doesn’t necessarily feel a sense of resentment to past riders that have doped. “I’ve only been riding as an elite pro for a few years so I don’t feel betrayed, but a guy like Danny Pate should be pissed. I mean, he’s had a great career, but doping in a sense has made it so that he’s not been able to get the results he may have liked over the years. He could have easily resorted to taking EPO if he wanted to, but he has integrity, unlike a lot of people who have tested positive, so I respect him for that. He could have been a multi-millionaire by now but has chosen not to go that route, so he has a lot of integrity. He’s definitely respected in cycling.”

Cozza sees Pate as a team director in the future, but for now he still has plenty of racing left in him

Danny Pate appears to be the teammate that Cozza most admires and longs to be like within the Slipstream team. He speaks highly of the five year veteran, and sees a very bright future for the former under 23 World Time Trial Champion. “There are certain riders on the team that are great to be on the team with because you can go to them for advice. Danny Pate is really a great resource for me. I could see him being a director in the future. He’s a natural at teaching things without coming across as arrogant. He’s super-relaxed and has a really good head on his shoulders. He’s respected.”

In regards to the sanctioning system in place for cheaters in cycling, Cozza would like to see it get even stricter than it is now. “I think if you are caught once you should get a four year ban instead of just two. And if you’re caught positive for EPO, I think you should be done for life. If you have EPO (in your system), you’ve cheated. There’s no way to mess that test up. Kick them out for good and you’d scare a lot of riders.”

Looking ahead to the future of cycling, Cozza is optimistic. “I’m glad for what the future holds. I have many more years left to race as long as I keep progressing. And I look forward to the future because it will only get cleaner, it will only improve. Cycling is going in a positive direction. I think for the most part the sport has hit rock bottom. I think the whole attitude within the peloton has changed for the better.” For the sake of cycling, let's hope he's right.

Hard work and determination are the only ingredients Cozza needs for success