The Associated Press moved an interesting story about a German inquiry into doping at the old T-Mobile team. … 

Inquiry suspects widespread doping among German riders

FREIBURG, Germany (AP) — An independent German inquiry found indications but no proof that former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich used performance-enhancing drugs.

A three-man panel of academics also said other German riders were involved in systematic doping over the past two decades.

The panel published its partial findings Thursday, after being commissioned by the University of Freiburg to investigate claims that some of its doctors were linked to doping.

Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France winner, retired after being exposed as one of the cyclists whose blood was found in the Spanish lab run by doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who is suspected of operating a doping ring. Ullrich has denied any wrongdoing.

But the inquiry leader, Hans Joachim Schaefer, said Ullrich was “probably” involved in doping schemes. Ullrich lived near Freiburg for years.

Schaefer said the panel found “numerous indications, but no proof” that Ullrich used the services of Freiburg University doctors who helped riders with blood-doping and provided other banned drugs.

There were also indications that Andreas Kloeden, another former rider for Telekom — or T-Mobile, as the team was later known — was involved in doping. Schaefer said Kloeden’s wife was sent an express delivery package in 2000, which he suspected contained EPO.

Kloeden was runner-up at the 2004 Tour and later rode for Astana, the team that has been excluded from this year’s tour because of doping violations.

The panel concluded that Telekom riders systematically used doping between 1993 and 2000 with the help of University of Freiburg doctors, who received substantial sums for their services.

Although the panel did not receive any testimony from riders for the period between 2001 and 2005, it considered it likely that the practice continued.

Patrik Sinkewitz was not the only rider who used blood doping before the 2006 Tour de France, Schaefer said, although he declined to give other names. Sinkewitz has admitted doping and cooperated with German authorities in return for a milder, one-year ban.

Erik Zabel, who was among a group of former Telekom riders who admitted doping during the 1990s, also used the blood-booster EPO during the 1996 Tour de Suisse, Schaefer said. Zabel has claimed he only used it briefly at the start of that year’s Tour de France.

At least five doctors working at the University of Freiburg clinic were involved in providing doping services, he said. None is still at the clinic.