3 junior Ukranian riders charged with doping

September 16th, 2009 by Ron Callahan View Comments

Three members of the Ukraine team riding in the Tour de l’Avenir have been charged with possession and use of doping products, a judicial official said Monday.

The riders, whose identities were not revealed, were taken into custody last Saturday before being released on bail, Besancon substitute prosecutor Margaret Parietti told The Associated Press.

Two of them admitted to blood doping and using banned blood-bosting drug EPO. The team trainer and the father of one of the riders have also been charged after customs officials searched two of the team’s vehicles and discovered forbidden products.

“The customs officials found used syringes with blood on them, they found Actovegin—which is an oxygen-carrier that can also mask the use of forbidden substances,” Parietti said, adding that a total of 143 vials were also seized during the operation.

Following the arrests, the whole Ukraine team withdrew from the nine-day race for under-23 riders. Romain Sicard of France won the race Sunday.

According to Parietti, two of the suspected riders confessed to doping during the nine-day race while the other denied everything.

“For them it looked absolutely normal to dope,” Parietti said. “They explained that they had to dope to recover from their efforts.”

Parietti said that an investigation had been started to try and find the riders’ suppliers.

Tags: doping, EPO, news, The Tour, Ukraine