Allegations of "blood doping mafia" in cycling cheating drug test system | Sticky Bottle

Aqua Blue Sport's legacy was tarnished when it emerged Stefan Denifl was doping when he secured some of the team's best results; doing so completely independent of the Irish squad. Now Operation Aderlass, which he was caught under, has led to allegations from within cycling of a blood doping mafia in the sport

The Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC) has alleged that
a blood doping mafia is operating within cycling and has called on the UCI to
improve anti doping systems.

The movement is made up of teams, riders, sponsors and
other stakeholders in the sport who stand against doping.

It has now said that arising from Operation Aderlass,
which has uncovered blood doping in cycling and cross country skiing, it has
become very concerned.

Groupama-FDJ manager Marc Madiot and Sunweb manager Iwan
Spekenbrink last month interviewed Georg Preidler; one of the cyclists banned
earlier this year under Operation Aderlass, by the Austrian and German
authorities.

The banned cyclist has outlined to them how the blood doping system worked, which he said involved cyclists acting independently of their teams and without their teams’ knowledge.

*Georg Preidler winning at Tour de Pologne 2018. He has now outlined to MPCC how blood doping has worked in cycling, giving rise to serious concern about the current testing regime*

MPCC said based on his testimony it was clear that anti
doping testing needed to be carried out much more closer to the start and end
of races.

“Georg Preidler’s testimony is a clear warning sign on
this issue,” MPCC said of the mafia of dopers in cycling.

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“MPCC also advises UCI to be even more vigilant during
the holiday periods of the riders, or during the long breaks they may take in
the middle of the year.

“While maintaining its full confidence in the UCI on the
fight against blood doping, MPCC wants to remind that none of the riders who
were part of the Aderlass operation were ever tested positive.

“These unfortunate revelations came from the police’s hard
work only.

“On the basis of the testimonies it gathered, MPCC asks for a formal enquiry to open regarding the alleged use of a “powder” (Aicar-based?) that could be used by some teams or riders on the final parts of races.

It has written to the UCI to outline its concerns and in
his reply UCI president David Lappartient said the UCI was focused on the biological
passport system and had already been testing riders at the start locations of
races.

It added the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation collects “as
many draws samples as they can” within the “limits of its budget while
favouring targeted tests”.

Lappartient also said CADF performed 5,307 blood tests in
2017 and 5,585 in 2018 under the biological passport system.