Report into doping in Danish cycling due on Tuesday
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Michael Rasmussen in the lead in 2004(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
No surprise to see Bjarne Riis at the Giro today as the race finished in his adopted home town of Lugano(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Most combative rider of stage 15 Nicki Sörensen (Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank).(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Anti-Doping Denmark (ADD) and the Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) are set to publish their findings after a three-year investigation into doping in Danish cycling. The report, which is due on Tuesday, has been centred around the years between 1998 and 2015.
Details have already begun emerging about the results of the lengthy investigation, with former rider Michael Rasmussen accusing the investigation of trying to selectively edit parts of his testimony. Rasmussen, who was famously thrown out of the Tour de France in 2007 after it was discovered that he lied about his training whereabouts, has told the Danish media that former Tinkoff-Saxo rider Nicki Sørensen’s name has been removed from the original report.
According to Danish website Ekstra Bladet, they have received a copy of the original report, which mentioned Sørensen, and a new one, which didn’t. The website adds that Rasmussen was sent a letter from Anti-Doping Denmark requesting that he sign a new version of the report, while destroying the copy of the old report which he had signed in April. Rasmussen has so far refused, claiming that they were trying to silence him.
“It is very clear from the text that was sent to me that they would push me into silence and I had to destroy the documents I had received. It is quite unequivocal,” Rasmussen told Ekstra Bladet. “I have declared myself ready to tell the truth, and I have signed that I will speak the truth. I have not signed that I will conceal the truth.”
According to Ekstra Bladet, Sørensen has admitted to doping during the 2004 Olympic Games but that has since been removed from the report. The Dane declined to comment when they questioned him on the topic.
Fellow former cyclist Jörg Jaksche has also given evidence during the investigation but, according to Danish TV2 journalist Rasmus Staghøj, he has not been asked to sign any amendments. 1997 Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, who has admitted to doping in the past, is among the others who have spoken during the investigation.
Since his own admission of doping in 2013, Rasmussen has pointed the finger at several former and current riders. He also gave evidence during in his book Yellow Fever, which was released in late 2013, Rasmussen has already accused former teammate Sørensen of doping along with Frank Hoj and Rolf Sørensen. He has also stated that he taught Ryder Hesjedal how to dope in 2003. He also gave details into the doping practices at the Rabobank team where he rode for the best part of his career.
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Rasmussen says that he’s at a loss as to why the changes have been made. “I simply cannot figure out the motive to protect Nicki Sorensen - and others for that matter,” said Rasmussen. “I have not seen all 100 pages of the report, but I can at least make it clear that the part of it that concerns me, it is extremely diluted.”
Following the release of the findings, ADD and the DIF will hold a press conference in Brøndby at 12pm local time on Tuesday, 23 July.
