Cofidis Affair ruling expected today

By Susan Westemeyer

A French court is expected to hand down sentences today on doping charges stemming from the 2004 Cofidis affair, in which David Millar was stripped of his world championship title after admitting to taking EPO.

Millar, who has completed his two-year suspension, is expected to be released. Physiotherapist Boguslaw Madejak is expected to be sentenced to four to six months imprisonment. The remaining eight defendants -- riders Massimiliano Lelli, Philippe Gaumont, Robert Sassonne, Mederic Clain, Marek Rutkiewicz and Daniel Majewski, director sportif Oleg Kozlitine and pharmacist Pierre Ben Yamin -- are all expected to receive suspended sentences of three to twelve months.

The trial, held in November, addressed charges of "acquiring and holding banned substances."