Jumbo "shaping the battlefield" or "getting ahead of the narrative" as I believe it's said in certain circles.
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...after-positive-doping-test-of-michel-hessmann
(Quote)“Wednesday, August 16, 2023 was a black day for our team,” reflects Plugge to RIDE Magazine. “For the first time in ten years, we received the message that a rider from our team, Michel Hessmann , had taken a positive doping test. We have to look in the mirror ourselves, are we doing everything right?
“Everyone involved in and with our organization must be aware of everything. Germany has a doping law, so the public prosecutor's office is automatically involved," says Plugge. "Criminal law has the presumption of innocence, while disciplinary law reasons the other way around. It is up to the athlete to prove that he has done nothing wrong. If the test is carried out properly, there are two flavors, either it is conscious, or it is contamination from a supplement or other medicine."
“It is therefore mandatory within our team to only use supplements and medicines that have been batch checked for doping substances, to minimize the risk of contamination. Many products contain remnants of other products,” he continues. “In short, an athlete cannot simply take a supplement, drug or energy drink without knowing whether it has been tested beforehand. There can be a doping control 365 days a year, the athlete must be sharp every day. That is part of
cycling policy. Riders are checked between thirty and 150 times per year. That is good and should remain that way. We stand for fair sport in which talents cross swords on equal grounds.” (End quote)
So Jumbo will give it the old "tainted supplement" excuse? Sounds like it to me.
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