Just like the Tour de France and the major races in Europe, the Tour of Missouri is subject to anti-doping procedures. The jumble of organizations involved in the drug-testing process can make the testing procedures seem complicated.

The international governing body of cycling, UCI, has 78 pages of regulations relating to drug testing. Because cycling is an Olympic sport, UCI has adopted the list of banned substances from the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA's list runs 10 pages.

To sort through it, we sought the help of Sean Petty, chief operating officer of USA Cycling, which sanctioned the race and works in cooperation with UCI, WADA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which will conduct the tests at the Tour of Missouri.

Anyone hungry for a bowl of alphabet soup?

Petty didn't respond to that one, but he supplied answers to the following questions:

How many riders are tested?

Four riders a day will be part of what's known as the in-competition program. The stage winner and overall leader will be tested, as will two riders selected at random. The random riders will be notified when they check in before each stage. USADA also has the right to conduct individual testing at any time, in or out of competition, and could do so during the Tour of Missouri.

How do you make sure that the riders show up for tests?

For the in-competition tests, USADA provides chaperones, who are assigned a rider and find him at the end of the stage. The chaperone stays with the rider as he fills out the paperwork and takes him into medical control.

What tests will be performed?

A urine sample is split into two bottles, identified by a code number. The first, known as the "A" sample, will be analyzed for the substances on WADA's list as well as an optional test for EPO (a substance that boosts the number of red blood cells). The race organizers have requested the EPO test, which is good. The organizers of the Tour of California also requested the test, and it should become the norm.

Who pays for the testing?

USADA.

How much does it cost?

Because we're doing both the normal and EPO screens, the lab cost is $500 to $600 per test.

Who does the analysis?

Either the Olympic Analytical Laboratory at UCLA or the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory at the University of Utah, the only labs in the United States that WADA has accredited for testing.

How long does it take to get results?

Normally, the negative results come to USA Cycling in about 60 days. If there's a non-negative, the time frame is shorter. In either case, USADA, in theory, shouldn't know the rider's identity until it matches the sample's code number with the documentation from the doping-control process.

What happens if a non-negative result is found?

The athlete is informed, as is his national federation. At that point, the athlete has the right to have the "B" sample analyzed.

knelson@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8233