Dane says he has the right to stay in cycling despite doping allegations
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Alberto Contador consults with Bjarne Riis at the Tinkoff-Saxo training camp in Gran Canaria.(Image credit: Stephen Farrand)
Bjarne Riis with Alberto Contador at a press conference in October 2013(Image credit: AFP)
Bjarne Riis has attracted a new sponsor to his squad.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Bjarne Riis has told Cyclingnews that he is happier after selling his team to Oleg Tinkov for a reported €6 million and that he has every right to remain within the sport despite an ongoing doping investigation in his native Denmark.
"Every year is different, with new riders coming in and others going out. That's how it is and the team has adapted well. I think we have a good core group again and it’s also the group that leads the philosophy of the team,” he said.
Although confident that Rafal Majka and Nicolas Roche can build on the strides they made in 2013 at this year’s Giro d’Italia, Riis is aware of the need to continue to strengthen the team around Contador.
Ultimately, however, Riis knows that much of the responsibility at Tinkoff-Saxo rests on the shoulders of Alberto Contador, who will have to carry the fight to Froome and Sky in July. “If Alberto is back to his best, then he'll win races,” Riis said.
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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
