Mark Schmidt, the German sports doctor at the centre of the Operation Aderlass blood doping investigation, has been jailed for four years and 10 months by a Munich court. The former Gerolsteiner and Milram team doctor was found guilty of 24 counts of using doping methods and two counts of prohibited use of drugs.
Operation Aderlass first hit the headlines in February 2019 when a number of arrests were made at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Austria following admissions made by cross-country skier Johannes Dürr.
The investigation subsequently expanded to cyclists. Several have since been sanctioned, of which the highest profile is the Italian rider Alessandro Petacchi – winner of Milan-San Remo and the points jersey at all three Grand Tours – who received a two-year ban in 2019.
Kristijan Durasek, Kristijan Koren, Borut Božič, Georg Preidler and Stefan Denifl have also been banned, while former Swiss pro Pirmin Lang left the team he founded after admitting his involvement.
Schmidt was arrested in February 2019 and went on trial in September 2020, along with four accomplices who have also been found guilty. Two received suspended sentences and two were fined.
The BBC reports that in a written statement read out by his lawyers, Schmidt said, "I took a wrong turn and have myself to blame." He added, "I am infinitely sorry that I dragged the other four into it."
Schmidt admitted blood doping from 2012 onwards, but claimed he didn't financially profit from it and that no-one's health was put at risk.
As well as the jail sentence, he was fined €158,000 and banned from practising medicine for a further three years.
Why doesn't he head off to the M25 for an enjoyable day out with thousands of other motorists? There's even a taxpayer funded reserved route that...
Randomly mix it up. A handful of PCs around for a couple of hours and change the time frame. Change location on street. Motorist thinks they've got...
I'd like to see the banner of Owain Glyndwr rather than y ddraig goch, tbh.
I concur GP4000 is the hardest I've ever had to mount on a rim, Ultegra wheelset in my case. Shifted the outer skin on my thumbs!...
Adam, you'll see that most posts on here are understanding of the trans dilemma, and sympathetic?...
Another one who deliberately misuses the term. Looking for trouble. Yeah because in London you have to stake out a road all day to find one offence.
Ticks a box, doesn't it?...
Or even race in the women's races in a separate category with seperate points and medals. Perhaps in return BC could sponsor and also ask all...
Normally I don't have a small enough violin for them but in this case I guess it's possible that their office / secretary / intern submitted this...
🤔 I bought the Allez Elite with 105 groupset for £1000 in 2021. Seems a very steep increase in price for barely any gains