Rogers distances self from 2006 Tour de France doping

By Susan Westemeyer

Michael Rogers has told his team that he knows nothing about blood doping on the team during the 2006 Tour de France, as alleged by former team-mate Patrik Sinkewitz. "We spoke with Rogers, and he told us he was not involved in doping practices in T-Mobile Team in 2006," team spokesman Stefan Wagner told the dpa agency. "He is part of our strict anti-doping programme. And he follows this one hundred percent."

Sinkewitz is said to have told the German Cycling Federation that several Tour team members visited the Freiburg University Clinic days before the Tour started, and that blood transfusion took place during the Tour. Rogers is the only rider from that Tour team who is still riding for T-Mobile.

In addition, according to Sport1.de, sponsor Deutsche Telekom is starting to put some distance between itself and the team it has sponsored since 1991. "The sponsor has nothing to say [concerning Sinkewitz's statements]," said Christian Frommer, head of sponsoring communications for the company. "We have a clear anti-doping guideline and we are observing the current developments."

"Everything has been said that can be said," Wagner told Sport1.de. "As we see it there is no break between T-Mobile and the team." He also denied that the team would become an American team. "The roots and the identity of this team lie in Germany. And it will stay that way.

"We see ourselves on a very good way, which is not easy. But we will continue to go this way in the 2008 season with a strict anti-doping programme," Wagner added. "We want to set a sign with our continuity and responsibility, which this sport needs."