Amateur Cyclist Buster Brown Was Denied a Recreational TUE for Testosterone Because He Won Too Many Races
23.08.2018

Amateur Cyclist Buster Brown Was Denied a Recreational TUE for Testosterone Because He Won Too Many Races

Buster Brown, an amateur cyclist and cycling coach in Oklahoma, was suspended for two years for an anti-doping rules violation (ADRV) according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Brown had tested positive for the anabolic steroid testosterone after someone ratted him out to USADA.

The USADA PlayClean Tip Center received a call from an individual who claimed to have knowledge of a potential doping violation committed by Brown. Based on this information, USADA arranged a targeted testing of Brown on October 11, 2016. The out-of-competition urine sample tested positive for testosterone. A carbon isotope ratio (CIR) test confirmed that the testosterone was of exogenous origin and was not produced naturally by Brown.

USADA learned that Brown had been prescribed a therapeutic dose of testosterone as part of a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) protocol supervised by his doctor. Unfortunately, USADA requires that all athletes must obtain a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) prior to commencing the use of an otherwise prohibited substance.

The fact that Brown was prescribed testosterone under the direction and supervision of a qualified doctor resulted in the reduction of Brown’s first-time anti-doping violation from 4 years to only 2 years. But in order to continue using testosterone for HRT, Brown needed to apply for a USADA TUE.

USADA refused to grant a TUE for testosterone to Brown. USADA said that Brown failed to satisfy all four conditions outlined by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) International Standard for TUEs (ISTUE).

This usually is not a problem for most recreational and master’s athletes in the United States. USADA has a special TUE created exclusively for American amateur athletes who want to compete while using testosterone for HRT. It is called the Recreational Competitor TUE (RCTUE).

Unfortunately, USADA refused to give Brown a RCTUE for the sole reason that Brown is too good of an athlete. While USADA does not like to admit it, it blatantly discriminates against any athlete who is too good. RCTUEs are given only to athletes who suck.

“Under the USADA TUE Policy, an athlete has the responsibility to demonstrate in advance of using a prohibited substance that the medical need to treat an acute or chronic condition satisfies all four strict criteria within the WADA International Standard for TUEs (ISTUE),” according to a USADA statement. “In this instance, Brown’s TUE application was insufficient because it neither met the ISTUE criteria nor the criteria for a TUE as a recreational competitor.”

Regardless of a master athlete’s legitimate medical need for HRT, USADA will reject the RCTUE application if the athlete wins too many races, wins too much prize money, has competed in an international race, has ever won a national or regional race, and/or has ever competed as a professional athlete.

Brown was disqualified on multiple counts. According to his CyclingForSuccess.net website, Brown competed as a pro cyclist over 20 years ago. He won two Master’s National Championships. And he won multiple state and regional titles. In recent years, he won the men’s master division in several local races such as the Bixby Bicycles Summer Time Trial, the Hotter n Hell Hundred Saturday Road Race and the Bixby Bicycles Oklahoma State Time Trial.

The only good news for Brown is that his two-year suspension was applied retroactively to November 29, 2016. This means he will be eligible to compete against on November 28, 2018. Unfortunately, the bad news is that Brown will still have to give up the medically-necessary HRT if he wants to compete again.

Certified cycling coach Buster Brown (Cycling for Success)

Certified cycling coach Buster Brown (Cycling for Success)

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