BELGIUM/FILE: Former Telekom cycling manager Walter Godefroot denies involvement in doping

Record ID: 723410

  • Title: BELGIUM/FILE: Former Telekom cycling manager Walter Godefroot denies involvement in doping
  • Date: 2nd June 2007
  • Summary: (EU) FILE (BONN, GERMANY -- JUNE 26, 1998) (REUTERS -- ACCESS ALL) DEUTSCHE TELEKOM CYCLING TEAM MEMBERS (LEFT TO RIGHT:) BJARNE RIIS (ADMITS DOPING), JAN ULLRICH (DENIES ANY DOPING INVOLVEMENT) AND ERIK ZABEL (ADMITS DOPING)
  • Embargoed: 17th June 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAA24JWU5H01Y8UZJCADEZ34KJS
  • Story Text: Former Deutsche Telekom cycling team general manager Walter Godefroot denies allegations that he knew about the use of performance enhancing drugs by some of his riders a decade ago. Godefroot says he will take legal action against the former team masseur who made the allegations. Former Deutsche Telekom cycling team general manager Walter Godefroot denied on Tuesday (June 5) allegations that he knew about the use of performance enhancing drugs among some of his riders a decade ago.
    Godefroot's denial at a news conference in Ghent, Belgium came two weeks after former Telekom team leader Bjarne Riis became the first rider to admit to having used performance enhancing drugs while winning the Tour de France.
    Godefroot said he also intended to sue former masseur Jef d'Hont, who alleged in a recent book that the team -- now known as T-Mobile -- had encouraged riders to use the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin).
    "I won't put Jef d'Hont on trial here -- I will do so before the competent court. I can announce today, however, that I have decided to take legal action against him. It will be introduced in the coming weeks," said the Belgian.
    In his book, d'Hont said systematic doping took place within the team between 1992 and 1996.
    Since its publication, Germans Erik Zabel and Rolf Aldag, who rode for Telekom when team leaders Bjarne Riis and German Jan Ullrich won the Tour de France in 1996 and 1997 respectively, admitted to using EPO in the mid-1990s.
    Three other German Telekom riders and two team doctors also admitted to doping at the team. Ullrich, who retired from racing in April, has denied using illegal substances.
    Denmark's Riis alleged that Godefroot turned a blind eye to drug use within the team.
    But the former manager said on Tuesday: "I did not organise any doping in our cycling team, nor did I finance it. I did not stimulate or incite any racer to use doping products. This is the essence of the case and this is the gross lie Jef d'Hont has launched. I cannot tolerate this. I know that I have the support of personnel and colleagues of the team and of some riders."
    Godefroot did say, however, that he knew some riders were performing beyond their natural abilities during the mid-nineties.
    "That I didn't know what was going on doesn't mean that I was blind to what was sneaking into the peloton in the mid-nineties. Riders performed well beyond their capacities in an unnatural way. I took my responsibility by raising one thing and another with the UCI, which has been confirmed by the president of the UCI, Hein Verbruggen. Because I suspected that things were happening that weren't too healthy for the riders," said Godefroot.
    He praised the riders who admitted taking EPO for their courage in confessing and said most of them have also said that he did not incite them into taking drugs.
    "Nearly all of them confirm that I never incited them to use forbidden drugs, that I never organised or financed doping within the team, that they never gave me money for doping products," Godefroot said.
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