Confessions of a doper: Jaksche again, with feeling

Nothing new here, move along please. Someone has dug up some dirt or simply created speculation out of thin air regarding a confession made almost 2 years ago. Some of it we knew already, some is more detailed and this bit would be damning, if proven true: Jaksche rode for Riis and Team CSC in 2004. During this time, according to Bild, Riis decided who should take how much of what product, with Jaksche saying how he was helped to avoid a positive doping control. Team Saxo Bank did not have a comment on the story.

No-one is saying anything at this stage and it is, as I said, a thin air story published by the German tabloid Bild am Sonntag. Did I say tabloid? It has plenty of juicy detail but little or no credence at this stage.

A roundup of the latest dopage du jour

A roundup of the latest dopage du jour... you don't want to miss out on Eddy's wait for justice, Totschnig's plea for a fair go after being implicated in the as-yet unproved Viennese blood bank 'scandal', Davis's painful search for a team after, again, implication in something he was not involved in, and more.... all the links go to recent articles by Cyclingnews.com. Opinions are mine.

• Guilty as charged, Mazzoleni waits The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) released a statement on Tuesday calling for Eddy Mazzoleni to serve a two-year ban for his involvement in the 'Oil for drugs' scandal. The charges against Mazzoleni relate to SMS messages sent to Italian doctor Carlo Santuccione in 2004, said to contain requests for banned substances and treatments. The Italian cycling federation will now decide whether to accept CONI's recommended sanction for the 34 year-old Italian.
• Implicated but innocent, Totschnig sues Georg Totschnig will sue the German television station ARD for libel and defamation for its broadcast earlier this month claiming he was a blood-doping client at the Viennese blood bank "Humanplasma", even though he knows that "the damage can't be mended.".
• Implicated, innocent and out of a job: Davis struggles after cleared Former Discovery Channel rider Allan Davis is reported to be getting high-ranked support out of the International Cycling Union (UCI) in his search for a new team. Davis, who got caught up in the Operación Puerto scandal in 2006, was cleared of any charges before signing with the American team for the 2007 season. Despite good racing results last year, the Australian sprinter has nevertheless not been able to find a new squad for 2008, as his reputation is heavily tainted since his name was mentioned in the Spanish doping affair.
• Computers pitch in to help make things better With the ProTour season ready to start in Australia at the Tour Down Under this January, the UCI's latest anti-doping tool, the biological passport, is also set to hopefully make 2008 one of the cleanest cycling years ever. One key element to the increased out-of-competition tests (7000 tests in 2008 as compared to 1000 last year) is the introduction of a reliable riders' whereabouts system, the ADAMS computer system (Anti-Doping Administration & Management System).
• Basso actually happy to be suspended, so why did he wait so long? Being suspended "was the best thing that could have happened to me," said Ivan Basso, whose career as a pro cyclist is currently on hold. "It gave me time to reflect and it has turned my life around." The Italian was given a two-year ban for his involvement in Operación Puerto.
• And the source of recent dramas, German TV backs down over Viennese blood bank claims German television station ARD has retracted its charges that four pro cyclists and unnamed German skiers and biathletes were involved in illegal doping at the Viennese blood center, "Human Plasma". Before Thursday afternoon's broadcast of a biathlon race, a moderator said, "It is not justified and not compatible with our professional standards, that such sweeping charges be made without having any evidence to back them up. We regret that accusations and suspicions against athletes arose because of this report."
• Who knows what else may happen in 2008? I suspect there's loads more to come with too many unanswered questions lingering in the air.
  

Old doper rates the current state "somewhat cleaner"

Jorg Jaksche sounds like a nice guy, so did he have to dope in the first place? From CN: Despite of the spate of recent positive doping tests, Jaksche thinks the sport is getting clean. "It is somewhat cleaner than it was three years ago and significantly cleaner than it was 10 years ago. They are on the right way, but it is a long road. Nobody can expect cycling to change overnight after 35 years of problems."

Old dope: Camenzind

This goes back a little, but Oscar Camenzind has reserved the right to not name his EPO supplier. Good news for someone, I guess, who can continue to hide in shame and fear.

Old dope: Clean, but still pursued: Di Luca

Who knows the truth here? Danilo Di Luca is clean, he's not proven to have doped, but he is pursued.

Via Cyclingnews.com:
"Di Luca faces further inquiry.
The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said in a statement on its website Friday that Giro d'Italia winner Danilo Di Luca will be subject to further inquiry for alleged doping charges and may be sanctioned following the review of new evidence.

No details were available about the nature of the evidence, the case, or where it might be heard.

"It's news to me," Di Luca told the ANSA news agency on Friday according to the Associated Press. "I know absolutely nothing."

Di Luca's lawyer, Federico Cecconi, also told ANSA he did not yet know the subject of the investigation. "At the moment, we haven't received any communication on proceedings other than those thrown out by the Pescara prosecutor's office."

At present, Di Luca is awaiting a decision from CONI regarding his alleged involvement in a case with Carlo Santuccione, a doctor who accused of supplying doping products to athletes. The "Oil for Drugs" case was dismissed by the Italian judicial system in early July; however, Di Luca will have to wait awhile for any final decision from CONI; according to Reuters, CONI's doping unit is closed from August 10 to September 2."

Old dope - Non-doper Kloden rides again

He's clean, but his team suspended itself due to Vinokourov's indiscretion and their bike sponsor withdrew support. But Kloden rides on, in team kit.

From Cyclingnews.com:
"Klöden rides in Germany

Andreas Klöden will return to racing Friday evening at the 16th Bitburger-City-Nacht in Rhede, Germany, his first race after Team Astana withdrew itself from the Tour de France following Alexander Vinokourov's positive doping result.

Race organizer Uwe Hengstermann said that he had received a text message from Klöden's manager Tony Rominger "again confirming that Andreas Klöden will come to Rhede on Friday." On the race's website, central-rhede.de, Hengstermann said, "Andreas Klöden has not ridden any races since Astana's forced withdrawal from the Tour de France and, as far as we know, he will start racing again for the first time in Rhede."

Although the team decided to suspend its activities during the month of August Klöden is able to ride in this race because he signed a personal contract to appear.

It was not clear whether Klöden will appear in his Astana kit and what bike he would be riding. Bike sponsor BMC cancelled its contract with the team as of August 1."

And the kit he used was confirmed, btw.

Old dope - Ivan Basso makes an appearance

To recap, Ivan Basso came clean about his blood in the bag, then recanted somewhat saying that he'd never actually taken part in doping, as such. He made a deposit but not a withdrawal, as it were. He copped a suspension anyway.

Here's the latest on Basso from AFP via Cyclingnews.com:
"Suspension? Basso in Giro delle Valli Cuneesi Basso during CONI visit

Ivan Basso was handed a two-year suspension June 15 by the Italian cycling federation (FCI) for his involvement with the Eufemiano Fuentes doping ring but the former Discovery Channel rider continues to make appearances in racing-related events. Earlier this week, he was at the presentation of the Tre Valli Varesine and he will be on his bike in front of the fans when the Giro delle Valli Cuneesi starts today in Cuneo (Piemonte, Italy).

The 29 year-old Italian has been invited to ride pre-race for the fans in the first stage of the five-day amateur stage race according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. He will use the 145 kilometres from Cuneo to Carrù as training before the riders race the same parcours.

The appearance underlines Basso's love for the sport but it also sends mixed signals from a rider that has never fully admitted his guilt. Basso was faced with evidence contrary to his earlier statements to the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) during its investigation and was put in a position where he had to confess. The details of Fuentes' operations were sparse and the next day before the press he watered down his involvement.

"In my career I have never used doping products or resorted to blood transfusions," said Basso May 8. Investigators found blood bags in Madrid marked for the 29 year-old Italian but he claimed that although he had the blood extracted he never had it transfused."