What is a stage race? If we have doubt, then Wikipedia says it is a race, which has been divided into several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-day event.
Normally, we associate stage races with cycling events. Tour de France is the most famous of them all. This year's Tour was spread over 3642km and took 23 days including two rest days. There was one prologue and 20 stages of a day each.
Tour de France carries prizes for each stage. But in the end, the most coveted title of them all, of the Tour de France champion, is given to the cyclist who clocks the least over all the stages combined.
This is not a report about Tour de France, but the most famous stage race is being cited here as an example of a stage race.
The definition of a stage race has come in for debate in a bunch of doping cases that involves the ‘hottest stimulant' of them all, methylhexaneamine.
Six wrestlers, three swimmers, two athletes and one weightlifter have been reported by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) before the Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel.
Arguing on behalf of 11 of them, leading lawyer R.K. Anand stated the other day that the wrestlers were tested during trials to select the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games and ‘trials' could not be considered as ‘competition'.
He quoted the definition of ‘competition' from the World Anti-Doping Code to support his argument. The lawyer argued for all of two and a half hours, almost all the time devoted to just one point: “What is a competition?”
The Code definition for competition states: “A single race, match, game or singular athletic contest. For example, a basketball game or the finals of the Olympic 100-meter race in athletics. For stage races and other athletic contests where prizes are awarded on a daily or other interim basis the distinction between a Competition and an Event will be as provided in the rules of the applicable International Federation.”
Lengthy argument
The expression ‘stage races' led to a lengthy argument about what actually it meant. At no stage did anyone say that this was largely associated with cycling. It was compared to preliminary rounds and qualification rounds in wrestling or athletics or any other sport.
No one argued that if ‘stage races' indeed could be comparable to qualification rounds in wrestling, then according to the definition one had to refer to the rules of the concerned international federation and find out what they contained.
The International Wrestling Federation anti-doping rules do not contain this expression ‘stage races' except in the portion where the entire WADA Code definition had been reproduced. The rules contain no distinction between preliminary rounds and final.
Further progress in the cases against the wrestlers will hinge on the ruling whether trials could be considered as ‘competition' or not. Perhaps the ruling may affect weightlifter Sanamacha Chanu also. She faces a sanction ranging from eight years to life since this was her second offence.
The athletes and swimmers were tested during regular National-level competitions and the distinction will not apply in their case. Methylhexaneamine being a stimulant can only be tested for in a sample collected ‘in-competition'.
