The UCI has confirmed to Cyclingnews that they have received documentation from the relevant anti-doping authorities surrounding allegations made against Dr. Mario Zorzoli. However the sport’s governing body would not confirm how long their internal investigation would take.
The USADA document contains statements from Michael Rasmussen, who testified that Zorzoli met with Leinders and said that "Rabobank was a team that had ‘butter on its head’", meaning no trouble would stick to the team.
It goes onto say that Leinders referred to Rasmussen as "the most protected rider in the race". Rasmussen also claimed that Leinders advised him to use the steroid DHEA (didehydroepiandrosterone) as a result of a recommendation from Zorzoli.
When the UCI received notification of Leinders’ ban and Zoroli’s possible involvement they quickly moved to suspend the doctor.
“We can’t say how long it will take to review the file but Dr Zorzoli will not work in any activities whatsoever within anti-doping and he will not be in the office.”
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
