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CYCLING

Norwegian ex-cyclist Kjærgaard admits doping

Another former US Postal teammate of disgraced Lance Armstrong, Steffen Kjærgaard, on Tuesday admitted to using banned blood booster EPO when racing the Tour de France alongside the American.

Published: 23 October 2012 15:42 CEST
Norwegian ex-cyclist Kjærgaard admits doping
Photo: Erlend Aas/NTB Scanpix

Kjærgaard said he started doping on his own initiative in 1998 when with the Danish Chicky World team, going on to meet with Belgian doctor George Mouton for "advice" to "avoid the risk of being caught".

The Norwegian then joined the US Postal team and raced alongside Armstrong in the 2000 and 2001 Tours. He said doping at the time was endemic and the team arranged all.

"Everything was organized by the team," Kjærgaard told a press conference.

"I can personally assume that there were a certain number of others involved in doping," he added.

Kjærgaard's comments follow the fall from grace of Armstrong, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) on Monday gave its backing to a damning US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) dossier that placed the Texan at the heart of the biggest doping programme in sport, erasing his record back to August 1st 1998.

Eleven other former members of US Postal have previously told their stories of doping with the professional cycling team, notably Tyler Hamilton.

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CYCLING

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Swiss rider Gino Maeder has died from the injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine during a stage of the Tour of Switzerland, his team Bahrain-Victorious said on Friday.

Published: 16 June 2023 12:54 CEST
Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Maeder, 26, fell during a high-speed descent on the fifth stage between Fiesch and La Punt on Thursday, after an exhausting day marked by three ascents over 2,000 metres altitude.

He had been found “lifeless in the water” of a ravine below the road, “immediately resuscitated then transported to the hospital in Chur by air”, organisers said.

But the next day, “Gino lost his battle to recover from the serious injuries he sustained,” Bahrain-Victorious said in a statement.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of Gino Mäder,” his team wrote in a statement.

“On Friday June 16th, following a very serious fall during the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his fight to recover from the serious injuries he had suffered. Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team,” the team said in a statement.

Maeder had enjoyed a strong start to the season, finishing fifth in the Paris-Nice race.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also fell on the same descent from Albula, during the most difficult stage of the race with multiple climbs. The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was hospitalised with “bruises and concussion,” organisers said.

On Thursday, world champion Remco Evenepoel criticised the decision to compete on such a dangerous road.

“While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent,” the Belgian wrote on Twitter.

“As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.”

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