Jaksche Fingers Riis and the Boys

blazing_saddles

This, in part, is old news immerging, but might impact on the credibility of Frank Schleck and again, those so-called independent programmes.

Jaksche allegedly named big names
By Susan Westemeyer

Jörg Jaksche is said to have named names in his interrogation by the German Bundeskriminalamt (federal police) in July 2007, names which include individuals still active in cycling, such as Rudy Pevenage and Bjarne Riis.

In July 2007, Jaksche confessed to having been a customer of Operación Puerto's Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. According to the German tabloid Bild am Sonntag, the German rider was interrogated on July 25 and 26, 2007, for ten hours each day. The publication claimed to have received a copy of the transcript of the interrogations.

He is said to have named his former team manger at then-Team CSC, Bjarne Riis, former Telekom team manager Rudy Pevenage (now with Rock Racing), former Telekom team doctors Andreas Schmid and Lothar Heinrich, and Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, among others.
In addition, Jaksche apparently claimed that he paid Pevenage for doping products in the Vuelta a España 1999. According to Bild, Pevenage gave him EPO every two days. In addition, Pevenage and Heinrich allegedly told him to ride the Tour de Suisse that year without any doping, as police investigations were expected. The tabloid claims that while at Telekom, Jaksche used EPO, growth hormones, Synachten and cortisone.

Jaksche rode for Riis and Team CSC in 2004. During this time, according to Bild, Riis decided who should take how much of what product, with Jaksche saying how he was helped to avoid a positive doping control. Team Saxo Bank did not have a comment on the story.

He also is alleged to have claimed that Claudio Sprenger, who was team doctor at Team Polti for Jaksche's first two pro years, 1997 and 1998, injected him with insulin. Sprenger, who is now team doctor for Team Milram, denied the claim. "It's one man's word against the other. Dr. Sprenger tells us that there is nothing to these charges. We are looking into it," Milram spokesman Max Biermann told cyclingnews.

Jaksche would neither confirm nor deny the statements, telling the dpa press agency that he had not released the information, and that any subsequent investigations had already been closed.

Chew it over.

Kléber

This is to be expected. The story today is whether Riis has turned over a new leaf, that following the problems with Basso, the confession and the move to appoint Damsgaard, whether this is all a sign that he's trying to do it right today despite past mistakes.

He's on probation and like past "criminals", faces a tougher test and more question markes than a normal person to stay clean.

micron

It's interesting isn't it? Most 'criminals' on 'probation' don't go straight back into the milieu in which they committed their crime, yet cyclists and other athletes go staright back to the environment that, arguably, caused them to cheat and break the rules in the first place. The sport needs a huge culture change.

kourou

Yep most of that is old news rehashed, and not very well. For example there is no need for the journalistic safety net of 'claimed' - Jaksche stated quite clearly in the German media - I took insulin, HGH, cortison etc. I've not hear the Sprenger bit or the detail about exactly what involvement Pevenage and Riis had (though this had already been stated, plus follow-up, alledgedly threatening phone calls when Riis heard Jaksche was to go public). He also fingered Saiz which is alledgedly what triggered his departure from Milram.

Kleber is right to say that potentially Riis may be making a fresh start, though his lack of penitence suggests to me personally that this is not the case.

Interesting timing given Jaksche's latest chance of getting back into cycling failed when Cinelli failed to get their licence.

It would be good if the whole testimony came out, but probably not for Jaksche, which is sad in my opinion.

The problem is Jaksche belongs to an era during which a silly proportion of the peloton were using PEDs. Its hard to believe anyone present at the time who claims to have been clean (rider or staff), and its equally hard in my opinion to slate those who have been caught, when we can be sure so many others did the same, and those caught are being or have been punished in some way...

Jaksche has served his time, more than most, and is also not getting a ride despite cooperating, whilst Basso, Hamilton etc get to ride at a top level again.

Seems unjust to me... I wish some team would be brave enough to pick these riders up, to show that coming clean does not mean a life sentence. I'd be happy to se him ride or work for any team these days given his outspoken Millar-style views and work these days.

drenkrom

While this is indeed old news, the bit that caught my attention was Jaksche's statement that all subsequent investigations were over, anyways. So we have this guy who rode for Telekom, ONCE, CSC and Liberty Seguros, and doped all along, who goes through a 20-hour interrogation and empties the bag totally, from the sound of it. What good is made of all that first-hand testimony, aside from a chance at a reduced suspension? Not a thing!!

It's no good naming names, now is it? You get a reduced sanction, but when you come back, all the guys you named are still going about their business, having not even been met by the authorities you spilled the beans to, who have closed any forthcoming investigation. Fat load of good that did.

PS: this thread title brings up so many wrong mental pictures....