Riis confesses to 1996 doping

Bjarne Riis @ 1996 Olympic time trial,
originally uploaded by Frank Steele.

VeloNews | Riis confesses to having doped in winning Tour

The biggest wins of the mid-90s Telekom team were the back-to-back Tour de France wins by Bjarne Riis in 1996 and Jan Ullrich in 1997. With the admissions by much of that squad -- Erik Zabel, Rolf Aldag, Udo Bolts, and others -- that they were using EPO and other banned substances throughout the period, it was harder and harder to believe the team leaders were riding clean.

Today, Bjarne Riis admitted he was doping when he won the 1996 Tour, and said he doesn't feel like a worthy Tour winner:

"My jersey is at home in a cardboard box," he said. "They are welcome to come and get it. I have my memories for myself."

Riis had long suffered the nickname “Mr. 60 Percent” on the internet, a reference to a hematocrit that reportedly once hit a superhuman 64 (source: Telekom soigneur Jef D'Hondt, on Panorama), where 50 is the current legal limit.

Riis said he was speaking out for his current team, CSC, where he is the team director, and where he said attention on his possible involvement in doping while racing was an ongoing distraction. The team, he claims, is completely behind him.

So, who's next?

Also:

Cyclocosm | I Have Doper Mind Control, Bruseghin wins Giro HTT

Endless Cycle | Riis admits to EPO use

Team CSC Press Release