Freiburg report dumps on big name T-Mobile riders and systemic doping

These are allegations against a culture of doping in one prominent team, a culture that was almost certainly eradicated after a climactic period of exposure and scrutiny in 2006. I must stress also that these are allegations only; that they must be investigated thoroughly before firm conclusions can be drawn. For mine there are too many questions - indeed inconsistencies - surrounding exactly who took what, and where, and why some newly hired riders were considered 'outsiders' and shunned, whereas others were "in". One obvious newcomer - Sinkewitz - was inducted into the system, yet Bartko was isolated, for example.

Having said all of that, it's undeniable that we expected something to come out of it, and it's probably exactly as most of us thought: it wasn't just Ullrich (not that Jan has ever admitted it, we only have the purported DNA link and heaps - bags even - of allegations). And yet it's strange that Ullrich is implicated elsewhere, not directly with this Freiburg issue. It was a systemic issue for the team, but not a consistent one?

Experts investigating the procedures of two Freiburg University Clinic doctors who worked for cycling team T-Mobile allege German rider Andreas Kloeden doped during the 2006 Tour de France.

That's not just an allegation against Kloden, either: The issue returned to prominence last fall, when Patrik Sinkewitz said that he - and possibly others - had driven to Freiburg for illegal blood transfusions during the 2006 Tour de France, only days after team captain Jan Ullrich had been suspended for his connection to Operación Puerto. The report found that doping within the team essentially began when the team was formed and continued relatively unabated through to 2006.

The allegations go back to 1992. That's a lot of riders, some of whom are still prominent in the peleton today, indeed are current Top 10 Grand Tour favourites. It covers EPO, testosterone and blood doping, plus 'magic elixirs', the contents of which are not known.

As always, expect the worst and hope for the best!

Ullrich denies, testifies...

Ullrich has stated in court that he did not dope during the period he was employed by Team Coast, nor beforehand to the extent where the effects may have lingered. (Which still leaves some time in question, although he also answered some questions about Operacion Puerto and various 'usual suspects'. ) Yes, he testified under oath. Yes, he did it for the money he was owed. Or did he?

After the hearing, Ullrich said that right had been done, adding, "Dahms is a cheat. I don't want his dirty money. Dahms lied in my face, although he knew he was broke. If I do get anything from him, then I will donate it to a children's charity."

Well this could be interesting

Oh what a tangled web we weave. Remember the year when Jan Ullrich was injured and missed Le Tour? He was a tad depressed about it all, or at least at a loose end for a while. Remember also when he was caught taking, umm, recreational drugs? And he had to switch teams for a while until the heat cooled. So you do remember team Coast? I hope so because it will be important.

Recall how he wasn't paid all that he was owed by Coast when it all went sour? Well he naturally is still chasing his money for that lost year... and is prepared to go to court to get it... but what if he has to testify that he was clean whilst riding for Coast? Will he own up, or does he have nothing to hide?

We shall (possibly) see: Jan Ullrich may have to testify in court as to whether he was using illegal doping products or methods while he was with Team Coast in 2003. A court in Düsseldorf, Germany, is hearing a case between Ullrich and Günther Dahms, the former team owner. "I can confirm that the senate plans to ask Mr. Ullrich to testify as to whether he doped or not," court spokesman Ulrich Thole told the dpa press agency.

Not guilty but here's some cash

No, I don't understand either. CN reports: The Bonn, Germany, prosecutors have closed their investigation of Jan Ullrich, agreeing with him to make a "six-digit" payment to community institutions and to the public treasury. The investigation looked into charges that the former cycling star had cheated his employer T-Mobile, particularly through a connection with Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. The amount of the payment was not disclosed but reckoned to be 250,000 euro. Ullrich did not admit to any guilt, and is not considered, under German law, to have been found guilty.

Apparently there is still doping-related evidence to examine, but in this particular instance Jan is cleared but agreed to make an undisclosed payment anyway. I'm sure the truth will out one day...

Ullrich offered a deal?

From PezCyclingNews:Ullrich Offered Deal VeloNews and the rest of the cycling world are reporting that Jan Ullrich has been offered a deal by German prosecutors in his ongoing criminal investigation. If the former Tour de France champ and multi-multi-time podium finisher cooperates he can walk away free of financial burden and bad conscience.

Of course if he confesses he would still be fined and banned from racing, wouldn't he?

Groundless accusations

There's nothing better than magazine articles where interviewees say 'maybe' and 'perhaps' and we are encouraged to translate that into 'definitely did'. Thus we twist a fairly weak story to beat Jan and Lance over the head all over again. Bear in mind that neither Ullrich nor Armstong have ever been tested positive - well, not without a letter from a doctor to explain it, anyway. What we do have ample evidence of is superlative athletic performance on a consistent basis. We also have many proven cases of doping amongst teammates and competitors; but to draw conclusions by simple comparison is to draw a long bow indeed.

On the other hand where there's smoke there's usually fire... via CyclingNews:
According to the magazine, a meeting at d'Hont's house on March 16 of this year, Pevenage admitted to having advised Ullrich and others on blood doping. He said, about "30 to 40 percent" of the riders were informed of the practice, but later they all knew about it. "You gave up a half-litre of blood three weeks before. And it is well-stored. Good, you feel a little weak for the first two or three days, but then you start to recover... You feel a lot better and then at that point you get back that extra half-litre," Pevenage described the process. Even Lance Armstrong's name came up in the conversation. "I don't understand why Jan could never beat the other one [Armstrong - ed.]," Pevenage said, and wondered about his blood values. "One day someone told me the American is unbelievable. He starts the Tour with a hematocrit value of 46 and at the end his still has 46. How can he do that?" questioned Pevenage. "With blood doping," suggested d'Hont.

Ullrich, Pevanage, D'Hont... Rasmussen... et al

What can one add? Via CyclingNews...

On Jan and T-Mobile: Circumstantial? Unverified? Fiction?
In the recordings, Pevenage allegedly said that he visited Ullrich during a training session on Mallorca in February of this year. Ullrich then said that he was there with former teammates Andeas Klöden and Matthias Kessler, both of whom rode for Team Astana. Ullrich is said to have told Pevenage that he wanted to end his career because he didn't want "to take any more risks." Ullrich added that he was at the same hotel as his former teammates, "and I tell you, they were all there, the most important of them are still using the same stuff, EPO and all of that . Nothing has changed."

On Rasmussen: minor offence or major coverup?
Michael Rasmussen purposely lied about his whereabouts in the period before the Tour de France, making himself unavailable for doping controls, an independent committee announced on Monday in Utrecht, Holland. Rabobank Team Manager Theo de Rooij was right to remove the cyclist from the race, it said, but he should never have started in the first place. The 33 year-old Dane was sent home following stage 16 to the Col d'Aubisque.

Jaksche speaks, Ullrich denies

Just for contrast we have 2 sides of the doping story on Cyclingnews.com. We have Jaksche confessing and commenting on others, like this: Looking at various Tour de France performances, Jaksche said that he could not comment on Alberto Contador and Michael Rasmussen because he "was not at the Tour and therefore can't judge them. But one thing is sure, there are still doping methods which cannot be proved." He did comment on Linus Gerdemann, however, noting that Gerdemann rode well one day and not the next, and said that "Gerdemann rides like one who is clean."

And we have Ullrich in denial whilst we read about his as yet unexplained bank account transactions to Fuentes: Prosecutors in Bonn, Germany, continue to make their way through Jan Ullrich's Bank records. They have now come up with "suspicious cash withdrawals", the dates of which correspond to notes in Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes' records, Focus magazine has reported. The magazine also reports that there is evidence that Ullrich and his mentor Rudy Pevenage flew repeatedly to Madrid..

It's only money after all - Ullrich donates to Fuentes

From the 'it doesn't prove anything' dept: Prosecutors in Bonn, Germany, have reviewed Jan Ullrich's bank records and announced Thursday that the records show that the cyclist transferred 25,000 Euros from his bank in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, to an account of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes in early 2004. In addition, there was another "significantly higher" sum transferred at the beginning of 2006, about which no further details were yet available, according to prosecutor Jörg Schindler.

Lots more (well a bit more) at Cyclingnews if you click on it.