Cycling Friday: Ullrich, Schleck, EPO, and doping

1.  Jan Ullrich says he will not resort to doping follow Lance Armstrong out of retirement. (The LA Times Blog)

When Lance Armstrong was winning his seven consecutive Tour de France titles, seemingly every year the easygoing Jan Ullrich was a co-favorite. Until somehow, in some stage, Armstrong would blow by the German cyclist on some massive mountain climb. Or Ullrich would fall in the rain in a time trial. Or something.

After Armstrong retired, Ullrich was almost universally granted status as the new peloton leader, but instead, Ullrich got caught up in the doping scandals and retired in disgrace.

In an interview with VeloNews, Ullrich says he would not be surprised if Armstrong won the Tour again after his return from three years in retirement. And, no, Ullrich is not planning his own comeback so that he can finish second to Armstrong again.

2.  Cyclist Frank Schleck suspended by CSC.  (IHT) (Update too at Cheat or Beat)

Frank Schleck was provisionally suspended by his team Friday after admitting he transferred money to a Swiss bank account held by a doctor at the center of a major doping scandal.

The Luxembourg rider had appeared before his country's anti-doping agency on Wednesday for a hearing into his alleged involvement in the Operation Puerto doping scandal in Spain.

Danish team CSC Saxo Bank said Schleck had transferred the money to the account of Eufemiano Fuentes in March 2006 "to receive training advice by experts who presumably worked with some of the biggest names in the sport."

Schleck admitted making "a serious blunder" and regretted the contact with "these people," the team said. However, he denied having had direct contact with Fuentes and reiterated his claim that he had never engaged in doping.

The team manager, Bjarne Riis, said Schleck would be suspended from racing "until we have had the chance to evaluate the outcome of this."

A German prosecutor contends that Schleck paid almost $9,850 into a Swiss account held by Fuentes, who is at the center of the Puerto case.

Comments

[Cal J]

Looks like there is a way to increase EPO levels naturally (and legally). Check out www.epoboost.com.