ARD link Kittel to German blood doping investigation

[Zam_Olyas]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ard-link-kittel-to-german-blood-doping-investigation
German television show says Team 1t4i sprinter suspected of transfusion

German sprinter Marcel Kittel (Team 1t4i) is said to be amongst those athletes who are suspected of black light treated blood transfusions. A young rider from the Continental ranked Thüringer Energie Team is also said to be involved.

Earlier this month, the German NADA confirmed that it was investigating one cyclist for involvement in the scheme. The ARD Sportschau identified this cyclist as Jacob Steigmiller of the Thüringer Energie Team.

However, the TV show on Sunday evening said that 28 athletes may have undergone the treatments, including Kittel, speed skater Claudia Pechstein and track athlete Nils Schumann.

Cyclingnews attempted to contact the management of Team 1t4i but several calls went unanswered. The team has based itself on strict anti-doping criteria since it's beginning, stating that ethics were central to their program.

The treatments are said to have involved removing blood from the athletes, treating it with black light, and re-infusing it.

The investigation centers on Dr. Andreas Franke, who worked at the Olympic training site in Erfurt. He has denied the charges.

Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfee

 

[spalco]

Well, ****.

 

[maltiv]

This could be the final nail in the coffin for German cycling...and from such an unexpected athlete. Never saw that coming. ****.

 

[bikeguy]

The treatments are said to have involved removing blood from the athletes, treating it with black light, and re-infusing it.

Not clear whether it is blood transfusion or "black light" ultraviolet blood irradiation. The latter may not be forbidden.

 

[Bavarianrider]

ARD is really doing a shamefull job again. They know the 28 names, yet they name only a few. That's horrible. They should mention all or none. Seems like they are protecting aomeathletes again. Just like in the Humanplasma case.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Not clear whether it is blood transfusion or "black light" ultraviolet blood irradiation. The latter may not be forbidden.

If you blacklight your blood and put it back in the body it's blod doping. regardless if the UV thing is ilegal or not

 

[maltiv]

ARD is really doing a shamefull job again. They know the 28 names, yet they name only a few. That's horrible. They should mention all or none. Seems like they are protecting aomeathletes again. Just like in the Humanplasma case.

If they have a long list of names then they obviously name all cyclists involved (because all cyclists are filthy dopers anyway, right?) + 2 from other sports (obviously not football or tennis) for credibility. Then they hope the public forgets that there were other athletes involved and order will be restored. Such as in Operation Puerto where there were like 140 athletes involved and the only ones mentioned with names were the 20 cyclists or so, which worked surprisingly well given that it only gave cycling a bad name.

 

[spalco]

One thing this clearly shows again imo is, that police-style investigations are far more promising and effective at catching dopers than merely doing tests.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Nail in the coffin for german cycling?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Nail in the coffin for german cycling?

Kittel is not really a big star outside the cycling world in Germany. And the general media have quit on cycling anyway. So as long as it is only Kittel i think it would be such a huge damage.

 

[Cloxxki]

One thing this clearly shows again imo is, that police-style investigations are far more promising and effective at catching dopers than merely doing tests.

Agree. Yet another undetectable form of doping uncovered.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

So Marcel Kittel is actually full-genius.

This stuff is 1 step up from Voodoo. I could understand it if he was keeping the blood for a month then retransfusing, but this crap is all in one day.

What a bloody idiot, deserves everything he gets, they should add an extra year on the ban for psuedo science.

 

[maltiv]

Some time ago I read about football players doing something like this, except that it was supposedly legal and not a single question was asked. They took out their blood and centrifuged it (I think) and put it back in. How come that was that legal, but this is not? Or perhaps it wasn't legal, but as they're football players they can do whatever they want anyway?

 

[luckyboy]

Woo for the new young clean generation

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Does this **** even work?

Some time ago I read about football players doing something like this, except that it was supposedly legal and not a single question was asked. They took out their blood and centrifuged it (I think) and put it back in. How come that was that legal, but this is not? Or perhaps it wasn't legal, but as they're football players they can do whatever they want anyway?

I think that's allowed because it isn't IV.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Does this **** even work?



I think that's allowed because it isn't IV.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_irradiation_therapy

Short answer, yes.

It also gets even more powerful when you dilute it in water.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

If they have a long list of names then they obviously name all cyclists involved (because all cyclists are filthy dopers anyway, right?) + 2 from other sports (obviously not football or tennis) for credibility. Then they hope the public forgets that there were other athletes involved and order will be restored. Such as in Operation Puerto where there were like 140 athletes involved and the only ones mentioned with names were the 20 cyclists or so, which worked surprisingly well given that it only gave cycling a bad name.

Put down your violin - ARD probably mentioned the 3 biggest names involved.
That one of them happens to be a cyclist is hardly the point.

Also - it will be pretty difficult to announce who the names are from football or tennis because there are none:

The German news magazine Spiegel identifies the doctor as Andreas Franke and says that he treated “numerous” speed skaters, cyclists and track and field athletes.

 

[maltiv]

Put down your violin - ARD probably mentioned the 3 biggest names involved.
That one of them happens to be a cyclist is hardly the point.

Also - it will be pretty difficult to announce who the names are from football or tennis because there are none:

Such they say, but personally I don't believe that for one second. No football players were named in Puerto either but we all know there were loads of them involved.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Put down your violin - ARD probably mentioned the 3 biggest names involved.
That one of them happens to be a cyclist is hardly the point.

Also - it will be pretty difficult to announce who the names are from football or tennis because there are none:

Hardly plausible that the rest are all unknown athletes.

 

[sniper]

Such they say, but personally I don't believe that for one second. No football players were named in Puerto either but we all know there were loads of them involved.

no football players, I assume:
a. football players don't need to go to doctors individually. there is a systematic doping program in most clubs.
b. this type of blooddoping sounds more interesting for the pure endurance athlete.
c. football players can still take recourse to conventional EPO, since there are no EPO tests in football.

Iow, unlikely that there are many football players involved.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Such they say, but personally I don't believe that for one second. No football players were named in Puerto either but we all know there were loads of them involved.

So when it is said that "the Olympic camp is for speed skaters, cyclists and track and field athletes - you still assume that it must contain people from other sports??

Hardly plausible that the rest are all unknown athletes.

I didn't say that the other names would be unknown, but that it is hardly a surprise for ARD to concentrate on the biggest names.

I did not see the show - did they name the others? It would not surprise me if they didn't as that alone would take up half the show. I expect all names will be exposed in the media in a short time.

 

[Bavarianrider]

So when it is said that "the Olympic camp is for speed skaters, cyclists and track and field athletes - you still assume that it must contain people from other sports??

I didn't say that the other names would be unknown, but that it is hardly a surprise for ARD to concentrate on the biggest names.

I did not see the show - did they name the others? It would not surprise me if they didn't as that alone would take up half the show. I expect all names will be exposed in the media in a short time.

ARD had a list of the Humanplasma names as well and didn't leak them except for a cycler. Guess who are the only athlete who is known to be a human Plasma customer. Bernhard Kohl and Totschnig. You really think that's a co incident?

However, Austrian media did leak the list.

"Katrin Apel
deutsche Biathletin

Martina Glagow
deutsche Biathletin

Andrea Henkel
deutsche Biathletin

Sven Fischer
deutscher Biathlet

Michael Greis
deutscher Biathlet

Alexander Wolf
deutscher Biathlet

Daniel Graf
deutscher Biathlet

Michael Rösch
deutscher Biathlet

Uschi Disl
deutsche Biathletin

Ricco Groß
deutscher Biathlet

Georg Totschnig
österreichischer Radprofi

Christoph Sumann
österreichischer Biathlet

Daniel Mesotitsch
österreichischer Biathlet

Ludwig Gredler
österreichischer Biathlet

Martin Pröll
Profi-Laufsportler

Michael Rasmussen
dänischer Radprofi

Denis Mentschow
russischer Radprofi

Michael Boogerd
niederländischer Radprofi

Joost Posthuma
niederländischer Radprofi

Pieter Weening
niederländischer Radprofi"

 

[Cobblestoned]

Gollum Seppelt in his element and back in Germany.
I guess Floyd threw him out of the trailer park.

Really interesting the fact that Mrs. Pechstein's phone was wired and that some policeman really had the patience to listen to a womens phone conversation.
Then they joined the dots to Erfurt.

Pech gehabt.
Anyway, it always makes me sick when I hear Gollum's voice again.
That he waylayed Ullrich in such a disgusting way will never be forgiven.
dude is on revenge trip and his intentions and style are questionable, even when his intentions might look good.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

ARD is really doing a shamefull job again. They know the 28 names, yet they name only a few. That's horrible. They should mention all or none. Seems like they are protecting someathletes again. Just like in the Humanplasma case.

They most likely did not have the names because the little they did say was inaccurate.

Anyway, we can identify many of the humanplasma clients.

The Vienna laboratory Humanplasma hit back on Tuesday at claims that it stood at the center of a massive doping network, naming instead several well-known coaches for the first time.

Banned Austrian biathlon and cross-country coach Walter Mayer, Stefan Matschiner, the former manager of disgraced cyclist Bernhard Kohl, and Martin Kessler, a rowing coach, were those at the heart of the doping network that used Humanplasma’s facilities between 2003 and 2006, the laboratory said in a statement.

“Between late 2003 and early 2006, these three persons – and only these – arranged for about 30 athletes in total to have blood samples taken,” it said.

Mayer, Matschiner and Kessler have long been linked to doping irregularities in Austria – Mayer was also banned from participating in future Olympics after a scandal at the 2006 Turin Games.

Until now Humansplasma had never named key figures in the scandal. The laboratory said it was first approached in 2003 by Mayer and Kessler, who insisted that blood doping was “completely legal and a widespread practice for a long time.” Matschiner then followed in 2005.

The organization “set and coordinated appointments, escorted athletes to blood transfusions and picked up the concentrates which were later re-injected before races,” according to Humanplasma.

Following comments by Austrian Olympic Committee chief Karl Stoss, it denied that any German athlete had been involved in the scheme.

Austrian weekly Sportwoche reported last year that athletes from seven countries and six disciplines – including 10 cyclists and four rowers – had been involved in the doping scheme.

Humanplasma insists it ended its involvement in blood doping after the 2006 Turin Olympics, which ended in scandal and life bans for several Austrian biathlon and cross-country athletes*. But the practices “continued long after 2006,”

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...-brains-behind-austrian-doping-network_106686

"Vienna - A blood centrifuge that was allegedly used to dope Austrian cyclist Bernhard Kohl has been possibly found in Budapest, Austrian police said Monday. Investigations were ongoing to confirm whether the machine found Saturday by Hungarian police in a private home was the one operated by Kohl's former manager Stefan Matschiner, according to a police spokesperson in Vienna.

According to media reports, Matschiner has admitted to having helped Kohl as well as banned Austrian triathlete Lisa Huetthaler by providing performance-enhancing blood doping services.

The former manager is currently being held in custody after Huetthaler and Kohl told police they received not only blood doping from him, but also a range of other banned substances.

Humanplasma, the alleged supplier of Kohl's centrifuge, is coming under increased scrutiny, as the daily Kurier on Monday cited a damaging report by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety.

"There is a strong suspicion that a maximum of 300 units of concentrates of red blood cells were produced on Humanplasma's premises between autumn 2003 and spring 2006," the report said.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/...ge-discovered-huetthaler-banned--summary.html

"Former pro rider Bernhard Kohl testified against his manager Stefan Matschiner on the first day of his trial in front of the Vienna criminal court today. Matschiner was released from custody in May after being accused of having provided performance-enhancing substances and methods - blood doping - to his clients.

Earlier in the day Matschiner admitted having given eight of his athletes EPO, testosterone and growth hormone, but he denied being guilty of supplying blood transfusions - having simply taken the blood doping equipment to Slovenia and Hungary in 2008 - before this kind of practice became illegal in Austria.

Matschiner named three athletes to whom he aided in doping: Kohl, his former Gerolsteiner teammate Markus Zberg and triathlete Lisa Hütthaler. He did not reveal the identity of five remaining athletes.

Kohl took the stand later in the afternoon, and confirmed that Matschiner had aided himself and two other cyclists in blood doping on September 24, 2008 - several weeks after a new law banning the practice had been put in place in Austria.

The first plan, Kohl said, involved the use of EPO and growth hormones, but after Kohl heard that the Humanplasma company was providing autologous blood doping to athletes, he told his manager that he wanted to do that. He booked appointments for treatments, but after the Olympic scandal in 2006 when several Austrian athletes fell under suspicion of blood doping, the company destroyed all the blood bags, Kohl said.

Apart from Kohl, Rasmussen and (Christian) Hoffmann, the case also involves triathlete Lisa Hütthaler and Italian rider Pietro Caucchioli, who is currently sitting out a two-year doping suspension."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kohl-testifies-against-former-manager

"Cyclist Michael Rasmussen has already served a two-year ban from professional competition over doping charges, but now he possibly faces another case from international cycling union UCI.

According to Politiken newspaper, Rasmussen – whose nickname is ‘the Chicken’ – was implicated in a doping case that resulted in the conviction of sports agent Stefan Matschiner a few days ago in Austria.

In his testimony, Matschiner stated that Rasmussen was a co-owner of a blood centrifuge, a machine often used by athletes to help them hide traces of illegal substances in their blood when tested. He added that the Chicken had blood taken for use with the centrifuge.

The court in Vienna confirmed that Rasmussen, cyclist Bernhard Kohl and cross-country skier Christian Hoffmann owned the centrifuge."

http://www.cphpost.dk/sport/120-sport/50238-new-doping-charge-against-the-chicken.html

"Markus Zberg, a former BMC and Gerolsteiner rider who retired in August this year, has been accused of buying EPO from Bernhard Kohl's manager, Stefan Matschiner. Kohl tested positive for third generation EPO-CERA last year and has since cooperated with Austrian anti-doping authorities, disclosing many details about his own doping practices.

In the final report from the Austrian Federal Criminal Office, Zberg's name is mentioned several times, according to Austrian newspapers. Kohl, as well as Matschiner and his assistant Gernot Winterauer, have reportedly confirmed a transaction of 24,000 units of Dynepo to Zberg in the spring of 2008.

The report also incriminates Michael Rasmussen, Thomas Dekker and Christian Pfannberger, who since 2007 have either been caught cheating or sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI), independent of the Austrian investigations.

Zberg's greatest success in his 13-year career was a silver medal in the 1999 World Championships. He was also Swiss national champion in 2000 and 2008."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/markus-zberg-accused-of-doping

"At least three Dutch athletes are involved in the HumanPlasma doping case, according to Dutch media. The Austrian National Anti-Doping Agency announced yesterday that it was investigating some 30 athletes for doping violations in connection with blood-doping.

Herman Ram, of the Dutch National Anti-Doping Agency, confirmed to the Dutch site ad.nl that at least three former Dutch athletes are involved in the case. While he did not release names or which sport they belong to, he did say that “cyclists play an important role in the dossier.”

Former Rabobank riders Michael Boogerd, Thomas Dekker and Michael Rasmussen have all been previously questioned in the case."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dutch-athletes-involved-in-humanplasma-doping-scandal

"Michael Boogerd and Thomas Dekker were questioned in the Netherlands this week about their possible involvement with an Austrian doping ring.

The Dutchmen are under investigation by Austrian authorities in connection with Stefan Matschiner and the blood-doping scandal disclosed by suspended rider Bernhard Kohl.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boogerd-dekker-questioned-in-austrian-blood-doping-investigation

"Denis Menchov travelled to Vienna, Austria, last month to answer questions from investigators concerning his alleged involvement with the blood clinic "Human Plasma". The name of the Russian Rabobank rider has been mentioned in connection with the blood-doping circle in Austria."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/menchov-questioned-in-austrian-doping-case

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

"Former pro cyclist Christian Pfannberger is the first athlete to be named in the Austrian National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) investigation of those allegedly involved with illegal blood-doping at HumanPlasma. Pfannberger has already received a life-long ban last November after twice testing positive for prohibited substances.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the NADA says that it has evidence that Pfannberger, "on the premises of the company Humanplasma GmbH, repeatedly had blood drawn for the purpose of doping in sport." In addition, it said, it is further alleged that he was involved in “providing forbidden substances to other athletes.”

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pfannberger-named-in-humanplasma-investigation

"Austrian Stephanie Graf, who retired from athletics shortly before the 2004 Athens Olympics, is being investigated by Austria's anti-doping authority over accusations of blood-doping after it was revealed that she had blood taken at a controversial Vienna laboratory.

Graf has admitted providing blood at the Humanplasma lab in 2003 but denies it was ever re-injected, which would be an offence under international anti-doping rules."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...raf-under-investigation-for-blood-doping.html

"Im September 2005 kam ich mit Michael Weiss in Kontakt. Er hat mir von der Blutdoping-Möglichkeit bei Humanplasma erzählt", wird Kohl zitiert. Im November 2005 hätten sich Weiss, Pfannberger und seine Person an einem Sonntag bei Humanplasma eingefunden, um sich Blut abnehmen zu lassen. Danach will Kohl Humanplasma zwei weitere Male gemeinsam mit Weiss aufgesucht haben. Laut Kurier habe Kohl diese Aussagen auch gegenüber der Soko Doping getätigt. Humanplasma hat vor einigen Wochen eingeräumt, rund 30 Athleten in den Jahren 2003 bis 2006 Blut abgenommen zu haben."

http://www.kleinezeitung.at/sport/m...thlet-weiss-laut-kohl-humanplasma-kunde.story

Matschiner wouldn't name names, only nationalities, sports and events. Like, bringing blood bags from Humanplasma to a russian and an italian at the 2005 Vuelta, the austrians at the 2006 olympics, a dutch track athlete at the 2006 European Championship and more stories I don't remember. He also said "with 99% certainty" that no german visited the lab.

I think we can confidently link the following athletes to Humanplasma.

Thomas Dekker

Bernard Kohl

Denis Menchov

Michael Boegeerd

Michael Rasmussen

Christian Pfannberger

Lisa Hütthaler

Michael Weiss

Stephanie Graf

Christian Hoffman

Wolfgang Perner

Wolfgang Rottman

Jürgen Pinter

Martin Tauber

Johannes Eder

Roland Diethart

Mikhail Botvinow

There should be more cyclists, a bunch of rowers and at least one more dutchie.

Such they say, but personally I don't believe that for one second. No football players were named in Puerto either but we all know there were loads of them involved.

Because Fuentes, McQuaid, Manzano and others said so. There's no indication of footballers being involved in this one so why assume it?