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It was thought that organised and widespread doping rings were as much a thing of the past in cycling as successful breaks in the Tour’s flat stages, black team strips and earlyseason warm-up races. However, cycling was given an unwelcome reminder of its less-than-spotless past with the first public revelations from a police investigation into organised blood-doping in Austria and Germany indicating that Nordic skiers had been involved in cheating. Leaked footage of Austrian crosscountry skier Max Hauke apparently drawing blood as the police caught him in the act gave the scandal its defining public image: a shellshocked Hauke, tubes protruding from his arm, while police working on Operation Aderlass – ‘bloodletting’ - surround him.
It wasn’t long before cycling was pulled into the maelstrom. Stefan Denifl, a former Vuelta stage winner, was named by Austrian newspaper KroningZeitung as being involved. According to their sources, Denifl confessed to having used banned practices to Austrian police. The Austrian rider had signed a contract with CCC for 2019. Yet he declined to take his spot up, with the team announcing in December that the contract had been terminated by mutual agreement. According to CCC’s general manager Jim Ochowicz, Denifil had cited “family reasons” for his decision. Ochowicz also told cyclingnews.com that their medical team had found nothing untoward about Denifl’s physical data.
Then KronenZeitung reported that Groupama-FDJ rider Georg Preidler, Denifl’s compatriot, had also made a confession to police. Preidler joined the French team two seasons ago after five years with Sunweb, and he had already raced in 2019, coming 81st in the Tour du Haut Var, which was won by his team leader Thibaut Pinot. The revelation was a blow to the team, whose manager Marc Madiot has been outspoken in his opposition to doping practices in the 21st century. A statement from the team said, “We deplore this case but retain confidence in the members of the squad and will always remain uncompromising in matters of ethics.”
Preidler’s confession was couched in ambiguity – he’d confessed to “drawing blood” but not reinfusing it, an admission reminiscent of Ivan Basso pointing out in 2007 that he’d been guilty of “attempted doping” but not actual doping, having similarly stored his blood with Doctor
40 Blood bags were allegedly found stored in a garage belonging to other athletes involved
Eufemiano Fuentes before being exposed in Operación Puerto.
Reports suggested that many more athletes, possibly more cyclists, would be exposed. The investigation is centred around Dr Mark Schmidt, a former team doctor with Milram and Gerolsteiner, and authorities are hoping that a confession, or DNA testing on 40 blood bags allegedly stored in a garage in Erfurt, Germany, will allow them to identify others involved. The UCI asked the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) to request the co-operation of all authorities, to ensure that the names of the cyclists involved would be handed over. They also provisionally suspended both Preidler and Denifl while disciplinary procedures are undertaken by the Austrian antidoping authorities.
Cycling was never under any illusions that the sport was completely clean. Though the days of industrial-level organised doping with the involvement of teams appear to be a thing of the past, a flow of blood passport cases and occasional positive tests showed there was a way to go. Many believed that the sport was a lot cleaner in 2019 than it had been in 2009 or 1999, but the news suggested that there is still a culture of acceptance and cheating in certain quarters. Questions will still be asked of the anti-doping authorities, who presumably saw no red flags in Denifl and Preidler’s blood passports. The fight against doping in sport is underfunded, however, and many believe that instead of throwing money at testing, the real gains will be made in educating riders and encouraging a culture where cheating simply isn’t seen as acceptable. As with Operación Puerto and the investigation into Lance Armstrong, it was law enforcement agencies rather than anti-doping authorities or journalists who found the cheaters.
Marcel Kittel called for better support and education for young riders: “Young athletes must be prepared for this situation with coaching and much explanation, in order to be strong later when they are faced with temptation.” Unfortunately this advice was too late for Preidler, Denifl and any other cyclists who were clients of Dr Schmidt.
The news emerging around Operation Aderlass suggested that there is still a culture of acceptance and cheating in certain quarters