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Saturday's EuroFile: Sinkewitz speaks; Cipo' won't Rock
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Former T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz has admitted having banned blood transfusions and using illegal blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) since 2003 in an interview slated to appear on Monday.
The 27-year-old was fired by T-Mobile during this year's Tour de France after he failed a doping test when it was discovered he had abnormally high levels of testosterone.
Sinkewitz spent five hours giving evidence to the German Cycling Federation's (BDR) disciplinary committee ten days ago in an effort to get his expected two-year ban reduced.
And in Monday's edition of magazine Der Speigel, Sinkewitz admits he first started taking EPO in 2003 when he rode for the Quick Step team.
"It was no secret then that EPO made you faster," Sinkewitz said.
Sinkewitz says he had blood transfusions; a practice banned by the sport’s governing body, to improve his blood's oxygenation and increase red cells.
He says the practice continued at T-Mobile until 2006 and was administered by team doctors Lothar Heinrich and Andreas Schmid, who were sacked in May after admitting giving cyclists EPO.
"In November 2005, at the time of our first meeting, I definitely spoke to them about blood doping and they said to me that it was possible," said Sinkewitz. "They did not give out EPO readily and only did it so our riders wouldn't go to any other doctors."
Sinkewitz says all doping operations in T-Mobile stopped after the 2006 Tour when 1997 winner Jan Ullrich was linked to the Fuentes scandal in Spain and the team was completely reorganized. The team is now headed by American Bob Stapleton who has instituted a rigorous internal anti-doping program. Despite that effort, Sinkewitz nonetheless tested positive for testosterone during the 2007 Tour.
Sinkewitz says he applied some testosterone gel to his arm to help his recovery after training and added the quantity was "the bare minimum." Nonetheless, Sinkewitz’s sample showed a 24/1 testosterone/epitestosterone ratio, well above the 4/1 that is considered to be a doping positive.
The result sparked a backlash in Germany after yet another doping scandal further tarnished the sport's image.
Television stations halted transmission of the Tour and Deutsche Telekom, whose T-Mobile is a subsidiary company, considered withdrawing their sponsorship.
"I felt guilty about it all, the failure in the fight against doping, the withdrawal of television coverage and the fact cycling had clearly not changed," Sinkewitz admitted.
After his firing, Sinkewitz has worked hard with authorities to reduce the damage and hopes to have his ban reduced to one year.
"I want to ride again,” he said “I can't think of anything else." Attorney: Cipo’ no plans to compete
The attorney for retired sprint ace Mario Cipollini discounted rumors that the 41-year-old Italian is considering a return to the sport.
Recent reports have suggested that Cipollini had been considering an offer from Rock & Republic CEO Michael Ball to ride for his U.S.-based Rock Racing team in 2008.
Attorney Giuseppe Napoleone told the Italian news agency ANSA that the rumor probably has its roots in Cipo’s recent trip to the U.S. to attend the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas.
“It’s a joke,” said Napoleone.
Napoleone said that a chance encounter with Rock Racing sporting director, Frankie Andreu, did involve a bit of back-and-forth banter about the possibility. Cipollini did suit up to take on an industry criterium during the inaugural Vegas World Criterium championships.
“A glass, a pat on the shoulder and a joke,” said Napoleone. “That’s how it got started… but it’s a joke.”
