The cultural attitude and code of silence Omertà lives on in pro cycling.

While normally associated with mafia organizations, like the Cosa Nostra or the Camorra, Omertà has unfortunately been picked up by professional riders, teams, and even national cycling federations.

The recent Ryder Hesjedal case reveals that keeping your mouth shot is still the way to handle internal matters.

Hesjedal was forced to reveal his abuse, after Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen published his hotly debated book “Yellow Fever”, and amongst many others indicted the Canadian star rider.

What is a bit unsettling is that the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport knew about it all, and had known for a considerable time.

In an interview by CBC.ca, the center defended its decision to keep quite about Hesjedal’s admission. CEO Paul Melia reiterated that statute of limitations and a confidentially agreement prevented the Canadian organization from going public. Melia acknowledged that Hesjedal admitted his guilt more than a year ago, and emphasized that the Centre is bound by rules.

"When we carry out investigations, we have to set up conditions that make it feel comfortable for the athlete and their lawyer to provide information," Melia said.

"So we typically set up a cooperation agreement that states that the information that is going to be provided to us by the athlete will remain confidential unless the information that's provided, we deem to be a doping violation."

Melia stated that Hesjedal did more than confess his usage of illegal substances, and that he provided information which is currently being used in investigations:

"It gives us further insights, like the Lance Armstrong case, into the tactics and techniques that athletes use to avoid testing. How they went into hiding so they couldn't be selected for doping control."

Nonetheless, the reactions of Hesjedal’s and Canada’s anti-doping agency seem pre-scripted, and diligently avoids telling the details of where, when, and how.

"I have loved and lived this sport but more than a decade ago, I chose the wrong path," said Hesjedal in a statement released by his representative, Slipstream Sports.

"Even though those mistakes happened more than 10 years ago, and they were short-lived, it does not change the fact that I made them and I have lived with that and been sorry for it ever since."

Fair enough… We also feel sorry for you.

The problem is, however, that the Hesjedal process is indicative of the way veteran riders subsequently choose to do the “right thing”, and as a consequence are let off the hook. No formalized process is currently in existence, and we are left with some riders paying the price, while others avoid capture and exposure.

Brian Cookson, the new president of the UCI, has stated that mere outlines of a workable process is still months away.

This leaves cycling with a system that is close to the medieval way of repentance. Three Hail Marys (cycling’s equivalent is whispering your sins to the local organization), and thou shall be pure and off the hook.

Oh, if you publish a book that describes your sins thou shall be rich too.