Anti-doping report: Riis knew about drugs on cycling team

What a shame that professional cycling is such a tainted sport. My disillusion with the sport began when my favorite rider, Jan Ullrich, tested positive for doping. At that point I knew that Lance Armstrong was also doping, although it was years before the story got out. Now, a decade later, and still there are stories of rampant doping within the sport. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A report by Denmark’s anti-doping agency says Bjarne Riis chose to ignore drug-taking by riders on the former Team CSC.

Michael Ask, head of Anti-Doping Denmark, says Riis, then manager of the team, “failed to intervene,” and “it is totally unacceptable.”

Senior Team CSC members Johnny Weltz and Alex Pedersen also were aware of the practices, according to the 97-page report published on Tuesday. It was based on 50 interviews with present and former riders, aides, and officials, including disgraced Danish rider Michael Rasmussen.

Rasmussen was leading the 2007 Tour de France when he was sacked by his team for lying about his whereabouts when he missed pre-race doping tests. In 2013, he admitted he doped for more than a decade.

Riis revealed in 2007 that he used blood-boosting EPO to win the Tour in 1996. He later managed CSC, which eventually became Team Tinkoff-Saxo.

The report said Riis gave the telephone number of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes to Tyler Hamilton, telling the American rider, “Fuentes is the best in the business, with blood doping he is the doctor to go to.”

Andi-Doping Denmark said it did not interview Fuentes, who was convicted in 2013 of endangering public health in the Operation Puerto doping case but received a suspended sentence.

Rasmussen, who was interviewed for two days in January 2013, said he “experienced a widespread use of banned cortisone” on Team CSC with the acceptance of its leaders and doctors. He said teammate Hamilton also received cortisone.

Another Danish rider, Nicki Sorensen, who has become Tinkoff-Saxo’s sport director, admitted to doping, according to the report.

The report said the interviews were conducted by telephone or email with people involved in cycling since 1998.

About The Great One

Am interested in science and philosophy as well as sports; cycling and tennis. Enjoy reading, writing, playing chess, collecting Spyderco knives and fountain pens.
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