Former CSC manager Bjarne Riis was aware of doping within the team, according to a comprehensive report on doping in Danish cycling, released on Tuesday.
On Monday, one of Riis’s former riders Nicki Sorensen admitted that he had used performance-enhancing drugs during his early years at CSC.
A Tour de France winner in 1996, Riis himself admitted to doping in his career, but as a team manager it is alleged that he knew, and even suggested, that his riders took drugs.
Reuters report that former rider Bo Hamburger was asked by Riis in 2000 to ‘acquire EPO’ for German rider Jorg Jaksche – an which Jaksche confirmed but Riis rejected.
“Management, with Bjarne Riis in overall charge, has at a minimum had knowledge of doping within the team, but failed to intervene. It is completely unacceptable,” Michael Ash, director of the Danish Anti-Doping Authority, said in a statement on Tuesday.
>>> Bjarne Riis leaves Tinkoff-Saxo team ‘by mutual agreement’
The Danish report was inspired by the USADA investigation into Lance Armstrong and involved more than 50 riders giving testimony over two-and-a-half years.
Some of the recommendations from the report include the introduction night-time drug testing as well as a licensing system for team managers and doctors.
