The French Anti-Doping Agency (, AFLD) is an independent public authority formed in 2006 and charged with ensuring that participants in sports in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

do not violate rules regarding doping. As a national anti-doping organization ( NADO), the AFLD cooperates with the

World Anti-Doping Agency The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA; french: Agence mondiale antidopage, AMA) is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. The agency's key ...

(WADA) and with other signatory organizations of the

World Anti-Doping Code The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA; french: Agence mondiale antidopage, AMA) is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. The agency's key ...

such as international sports federations. The agency has been particularly prominent in cases involving the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

, such as that of Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his title in the 2006 race. A breakdown in the relationship between AFLD and the

Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues raci ...

in relation to testing procedures in the

2009 Tour de France The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco. The race visite ...

lead to the severance of the role which gave AFLD their highest profile cases.

AFLD Departments

* Testing Department * Department of legal and institutional affairs * Intelligence and investigation department * Education and prevention

Assignments

Anti-Doping testing programs

The AFLD defines an annual control program based on an assessment of doping risks by discipline and implements it on French territory during sports competitions but also outside competition periods, during training or at the athletes' residency.

Investigations

The AFLD carries out investigations and collects information in order to seek out or note, violations of the anti-doping rules which do not come under an abnormal analytical result (administration or trafficking of doping products, falsification control).

Education

AFLD defines, jointly with the

, an education plan for athletes, in particular those at national and international level, and their support staff (coaches, doctors, etc.). The actions undertaken within the framework of the education program are provided by educators approved by the Agency.

Disciplinary Authority

In case of a positive test for a prohibited substance or method or a suspected violation of one or more other anti-doping rules, AFLD can apply disciplinary authority through the board of the agency. In this context, the prosecuted athlete can acknowledge the anti-doping rule violation and accept the consequences, without examination of his case by the AFLD Sanctions Committee. If not, the commission, which is separate and independent from the college, is competent to impose any disciplinary sanctions.

Notes and references

External links

*
Official website

BabelFish translation to English of AFLD home page
Anti-doping organizations Sports governing bodies in France Drugs in sport in France {{sport-org-stub