Nico Mattan of Team DFL-Cyclingnews has confirmed that he used illegal doping preparations in the past, but only for medical reasons.
Speaking to the press agency dpa before the start of the Drie Daagse van West-Vlaanderen on Saturday, he said "I've had problems with my sinuses for years. The only way to cure it was to use cortisone, but this product is on the list of banned substances, so yes, I had to use drugs."
Mattan had commented on Friday on Johan Museeuw's confession that he had used EPO, saying "At that time the whole peloton was riding on EPO."
Now, Mattan was surprised that his comments were covered in the media. "There was a time when I didn't quite abide by the rules, but I am a bit disappointed that this news has made so much noise," he said. "I've always been straightforward and I intend to remain that way. I don't deny what I said to the journalist."
