South African cycling is continuing to be rocked by the revelations of former national representative Shawn Lynch, who admitted on the Carte Blanche TV show that he had advised athletes on how to use banned substances. In addition Carte Blanche alleges that it has footage of Lynch admitting to also supplying substances, although he has denied that these were illegal substances.
Carte Blanche released the footage to News24, after Lynch told News24 that he had done "nothing more than supply information regarding banned substances and enjoy a fascination with the doping situation currently gripping world sport."
But Carte Blanche asked Lynch what he actually did, if he wasn't a supplier or a trainer. "Ok look I do supply sometimes," he replied. "Ja, I do supply and that, but I will never admit to that with [Beeld journalist Wilhelm de Swardt], I won't. He knows I have as well, I have told him. I do. But for his sake and my sake when he writes about anything I don't supply anybody anything."
Furthermore, Lynch told Cyclingnews, "I admitted to supplying sometimes, but there was never any mention of anything illegal."
In response to a question about whether he had dealt in steroids at international competitions (World Cups), while representing South Africa, he told Carte Blanche, "I have swapped stuff, yes. I've had stuff with me that I have exchanged for cycling equipment," and admitted to taking steroids and other substances at these international meets. But he wished to clarify this with Cyclingnews, "The items I swapped were again not illegal," he said.
Lynch has been twice suspended for doping himself, and his comments have attracted a storm of anger from officials in South African cycling and the Institute for Drug-free Sport. "How much further evidence is still required before stripping him of his colours and pressing charges?" Dr Shuaib Manjra, head of the Institute for Drug-free Sport, was quoted by News24 as saying.
