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LATEST NEWS: ROAD BIKE ACTION NEWS NOVEMBER 29, 2008
Road Bike Action & AFP
November 29, 2008
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Jaksche To Sign With Cinelli
The new Cinelli team of Frank Vandenbroucke is rumored to be close to signing German cyclist Jörg Jaksche. Jaksche recently stated that he was ready to call an end to his career and devote time to studying for a law degree, however he did not rule out a return to the peloton. "If a team would call me tomorrow and want to take me on, I would think about it," he said.
According to sportwereld.be, Cinelli team director Nico Mattan confirmed that the team is close to an agreement. "I heard Thursday that Jaksche is coming," said Mattan "Only the signature is still missing."
Jaksche has been out of competition since being involved in the Operación Puerto doping scandal. At the time he was part of the Liberty Seguros team. The team lost its sponsor when team owner Manolo Saiz was arrested as part of the Spanish police investigation into the doping ring lead by Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes.
Many of the team's riders, including Alberto Contador, were cleared by the Spanish courts although Jaksche and Michele Scarponi admitted their involvement with Fuentes. In 2007 Jaksche admitted doping throughout his career and received a one-year suspension.
Doping To Be A Crime In Austria
Athletes in Austria who are caught doping may be subject to criminal penalties in the future. The country's Sport Minister, Norbert Darabos, has proposed making the use of performance enhancing drugs a criminal act.
Darabos, in an interview with kurier.at, said that he believed such a law would not end with athletes in handcuffs, but rather would have a deterrent effect. "Because of the threat of criminal prosecution, doping would become less likely for the athlete, especially if he knows that doping could put him in jail."
 According to Pat McQuaid the biological passport program is working
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
McQuaid Confirms Passport Suspects
UCI president Pat McQuaid confirmed that some cyclists are being investigated due to the results of the biological passport program. Earlier this month Anne Gripper the head of the UCI anti-doping commission had already revealed that the UCI is examining suspect profiles that could lead to the opening of disciplinary procedures against certain riders.
According to sportwereld.be, McQuaid said that, "Based on conspicuous results from the newly-introduced blood profiles, there will be some positive cases," McQuaid said that the irregularities lead to the assumption that forbidden substances or methods were used. The names of the riders that may be involved were not given.
 Bernhard Kohl denies saying that "half the squad was using CERA" (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Kohl Denies CERA Comment
In statement released by his lawyer, Austrian cyclist Bernhard Kohl is denying that he has said that half of the team used banned doping product CERA. On Monday Kohl was suspended for two years for testing positive that this year’s Tour de France.
Kohl had been quoted in the Wiener Zeitung earlier in the week as saying “Probably half the squad was using CERA.” Kohl now says that his statement was just the view of many riders from the peloton, and not his personal opinion.
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