More problems for Vandenbroucke

By Susan Westemeyer

Franck Vandenbroucke can't seem to stop his legal problems. Het Laatste Nieuws reported today that he spent Wednesday night at the Dinant, Belgium, police station for questioning stemming from the 2006 raid of a bodybuilding studio. The studio allegedly provided doping products, and Vandenbroucke and other riders, including Dave Bruylandts, Jo Planckaert and Chris Peers were rumoured customers.

According to the newspaper, the police had twice requested that VDB appear for questioning, but he did not comply. Eventually an official request was made, leading to his appearance midday-Wednesday at the police station. He was interrogated that evening by the investigating judge, and then returned to the police station, where he spent the night before returning for further questioning Thursday.

Vandenbroucke was apparently asked about his relations to Ferdy Robyns, a former bodybuilder and nutritional consultant, who was named in the case. He has previously denied that there anything suspicious occurred, and that he received only vitamins from Robyns.

Other media sources say that Vandenbroucke is in even deeper trouble. "He was charged Wednesday evening with the purchase and possession of doping products, in this instance it was testosterone," a spokesman for the court in Dinant told the French news agency afp. The cyclist has denied the charges. Other reports out of Belgium also indicate that he was released Wednesday night and did not spend the night in police custody.