Copenhagen (Denmark): Danish mountain bike champion Peter Riis Andersen was barred on Monday from the Beijing Olympics for testing positive for EPO.
Riis Andersen admitted during a televised news conference in Copenhagen that he had taken the banned blood booster and said he would quit professional cycling.
''I am sorry for what I have done,'' the 28-year-old said, wiping away tears. ''Until Tuesday last week, I had the idea that I had done nothing wrong. I (then) realized how gross a violation it was.''
Riis Andersen admitted during a televised news conference in Copenhagen that he had taken the banned blood booster EPO.
''I got it through criminal channels because this cannot be provided legally without a receipt,'' Riis Andersen said. ''I joined the club of sinners.''
He tested positive during a pre-Olympic test on June 25, the Danish Olympic committee said. The 28-year-old, who also is a medical student, won the Danish championships on July 20.
It's the first known doping case involving the Danish Olympic team but only the latest in a string of scandals for Danish cycling.
In last year's Tour de France, race leader Michael Rasmussen was kicked out just days before the end for lying about his whereabouts to avoid pre-Tour doping tests. He has maintained he raced clean and never tested positive.
Also last year, former cyclist Bjarne Riis, who is not related to Riis Andersen, admitted that he used EPO to win the 1996 Tour.
Riis Andersen's German team, Alb-Gold, said it had fired the rider after both the ''A'' and ''B'' samples came back positive.
''I got it through criminal channels because this cannot be provided legally without a receipt,'' Riis Andersen said. ''I joined the club of sinners.''
He said he had turned to doping because of ''bad results in the early season this year.''
''I was scared that I would be knocked off the (Olympics) team although there was not immediate danger it would happen.''
He competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics, finishing 18th. RiisAndersen was one of 16 Danish cyclists who qualified for the Beijing Games that begin August 8.
Comments
0 comment