Frank Schleck

Chips Lovell

They took their time, but it looks like they may have finally snared Frank Schleck.

drogdub

ah no. I have only recently got into cycling as a lifestyle and watching it properly on telly since the start of the summer. I considered CSC's attack on Alpe D'hez as a real education on team tactics in racing. I thought the way the shlecks played with the chasing group was brilliant and read interviews with them and really liked them and hoped to god they weren't dopers. But the dissapointment I feel now is probably a part of being into the sport and nothing compared to that of some the people on this board. I hope its not true but it probably is. Damn.

niceonetom

i've been highly suspicious of both schleks for a while. their father's car being searched by the french police between stages of the last tour (probably not something they would do without something to go on i think) and the total lack of suffering on andy's face as he bounced up l'alpe d'huez set of alarm bells for me.

s'goddam shame...

Funkyzeit

Wonder if that is enough to actually nail him? I assume not? Remember watching him win L'Alp D'Huez in 06 and wondering if he was on the juice...

Diarmuid

niceonetom wrote: »

their father's car being searched by the french police between stages of the last tour

The police searching the car was a big surprise, I agree. The cops don't raid someone that high profile lightly. However Andy is still not implicated in the Fuentes affair so hopefully he kept his hands clean. (although that may be hoping against hope)

sy

So disapponted to hear this. Is there no end to these depressing revelations. Bjarne Riis has a lot to answer for. I feel he should be KICKED out of the sport.

chicoben

I wonder what Kimmage has to say about this!?!

dedon

I cant see why anyone would be surprised??

For god sake look who their Director Sportif is!!

Diarmuid

dedon wrote: »

I cant see why anyone would be surprised??

I guess it's more disappointment than surprise.

paddyb

CSC team manager Bjarne Riis has spoken out against recent doping suspicions over one of his top riders, Luxembourger Frank Schleck, calling for the case to be judged on "the facts". And the Dane, who confessed last year to using banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin) during his career, refuted rumours that he is linked to the Operation Puerto affair.

Schleck wore the Tour de France yellow jersey for two days in July but has become the latest big name cyclist to be linked to the Puerto affair which erupted in Spain in May 2006.

At its epicentre was Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the alleged mastermind of a vast blood doping network. When police raided his laboratory in May 2006, banned substances, blood bags and a list of around 200 athletes names, including 50 or so cyclists, were reportedly found.

Schleck has been called to a hearing by the Duchy's anti-doping authorities over a newspaper report which claimed he paid 7000 euros into a Swiss bank account held by Fuentes in March 2006. However Riis said CSC would wait for the conclusions of the hearing, for which no date has yet been established, before they make any judgement on Schleck.

"Frank has said he has not doped or been involved in any illegal practices. He hasn't compromised any of the team's or UCI's (International Cycling Union) rules," Riis said Sunday as he announced a new co-sponsor, IT Factory, for his team's main sponsor Saxo Bank.

UCI chiefs indicated Saturday, a day prior to the men's road race here, that Schleck could not be prevented from racing on suspicions alone.

"... at this moment in time we have nothing, no evidence against Frank Schleck," said UCI chief Pat McQuaid.

While the names of around 200 'clients' of Fuentes were reportedly uncovered by police, only a few cyclists - including Italian star Ivan Basso, the former leader of Schleck's CSC team - were punished. The UCI has tried, but struggled against Spanish government resistance, to have the investigation fully opened.

Basso is the biggest name yet to be sanctioned because of his links to the Puerto affair. He was snared by a codename on a blood bags, labelled with the name of his dog 'Birillo'. Allegations have been made that another blood bag, labelled 'friend of Birillo', relates to Frank Schleck.

Confronted with the allegations that he paid money to Fuentes, Schleck said late on Friday: "I've done nothing illegal. I have not doped."

On Sunday, as Schleck competed in the men's road race, Riis added: "We will wait for Frank to speak to the Luxembourg authorities before making any decisions. We base our decisions on facts."

Allegations of links to Fuentes effectively prompted the retirement of 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich of Germany, Riis's teammate at the now defunct Telekom outfit during the 1990s.

Riis admitted he used EPO to win the 1996 Tour, thus ending the five-year reign of Spaniard Miguel Indurain.

© AFP 2008...

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/bjarne-riis-defends-under-fire-schleck-18765

Chips Lovell

Interesting stuff in one of the Belgian newspapers today, who claim to know whose Tour de France blood samples are being retested. Five CSC riders in the mix, three Saunier Duval, and two each from AG2R, Columbia and Gerolsteiner.

Raam

http://www.velonews.com/article/83943

Schleck wore the Tour de France yellow jersey for two days in July but has become the latest big name cyclist to be linked to the Puerto affair that erupted in Spain in May 2006.

At its epicenter was Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the alleged mastermind of a vast blood doping network. When police raided his laboratory in May 2006, banned substances, blood bags and a list of around 200 athletes’ names, including 50 or so cyclists, were reportedly found.

Has there been any news on the non-cyclists who may have been involved in this?

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

Has there been any news on the non-cyclists who may have been involved in this?

A couple of tennis players and a few of the big name football teams in Spain were mentioned at the time as possibly being involved.

NickDrake

Schleck admits Fuentes payment

CSC-Saxo Bank rider denies having doped, suspended by team

Fränk Schleck says his payment made in 2006 to Puerto doctor Fuentes was for training advice
Photo ©: AFP Luxembourg rider Fränk Schleck has confirmed initial claims that he made a payment of nearly 7,000 euro to a bank account belonging to Operación Puerto doctor Eufemiano Fuentes back in 2006. His team, CSC-Saxo Bank, has therefore pulled Schleck from racing, saying he must concentrate on his case before the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency (ALAD). "We would like to express our sincere hope that Fränk comes out of this case in a way that is acceptable to him and to the team and we will do our utmost to make the most reasonable and sound decisions for him and for the team," team manager Bjarne Riis said in a press release issued Friday.
Schleck this week met with both the ALAD and the International Cycling Union (UCI), after a prosecutor's office in Luxembourg was given proof to the said bank transfer.
According to the press release, Schleck confirmed the transfer, but said that it was for "training advice by experts who presumably worked with some of the biggest names in the sport," and that he "never used or attempted use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method." He explained that he had "no suspicion of any unlawful action and interrupted the contact after taking advice from his father and his near friends."
Schleck further said that he "has never received, nor made use of any services from these people – including Eufemiano Fuentes, whom he has never met," and that he was not aware of the link between his contact and Fuentes.
Bjarne Riis is not amused
Photo ©: AFP The Luxemburger admitted "having made a serious blunder in taking contact to and transferring the money to the bank account and he became early aware that he should not continue any working relationship with these people." He offered to provide a DNA sample for comparison to blood taken into custody in Operación Puerto to prove his innocence.
Riis said that "We were very disappointed to hear that Fränk has been in contact with people who have done great harm to the sport and ruthlessly tarnished the most important principles that we all should adhere to in the fight against doping," calling his behaviour "irresponsible towards himself and his team."
The team manager now waits for information from both the ALAD and the UCI "in order to make an assessment of our further actions in relation to this."
Luxembourg to move fast on Schleck

Meanwhile, the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency wants to come to a quick conclusion concerning Schleck. Although criminal charges are not possible against the CSC rider, he could still face doping charges on sporting grounds.
In an interview with the Luxemburger newspaper Tageblatt, Luxembourg Olympic Committee (COSL) president Marc Theisen said, "For our credibility, but also in the interest of the athletes, it is important to find out the truth as quickly as possible. The goal must be to explain the affair as soon as possible and to find a credible explanation. At the moment, it is all about finding out what the payment of 7,000 euro was all about."
The Olympic Committee was hit with another doping case on Thursday, when it was disclosed that the 16-year-old swimmer who carried the flag at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics had tested positive for an asthma medication at the Junior World Championships earlier this summer.







No surprise that he only admitted the payment. The can prove that but they cant prove he doped. What a liar!!

Chips Lovell

So he gave €7,000 to someone he never met? Okaaay.

Then again, we all know that Spanish gynaecologists like Dr Fuentes provide the best training advice.

Liamo08

I find Mr. 60%'s hard anti - doping words to be pretty amusing, can CSC not use someone else to do the anti-doping talk.

BaBiT

Riis said that "We were very disappointed to hear that Fränk has been in contact with people who have done great harm to the sport and ruthlessly tarnished the most important principles that we all should adhere to in the fight against doping,"

But Bjarne, you were his boss he had to talk to you.....Oh, you mean....Oops


€7k to someone for training advice and you never even speak to him?...Think I'll become a training advisor too