Cycling: Husband of seven-time Olympian is arrested

Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 00:31

THE husband and coach of France’s former Olympic and world champion Jeannie Longo is being questioned by police on “smuggling products dangerous for health” charges.

Patrice Ciprelli was arrested at his St Martin le Vinoux home yesterday, the prosecutor’s office said, adding that Longo, 53, was set to be heard as a witness.

Ciprelli and a friend are being questioned by the OCLAESP, a branch of the French gendarmerie dealing with environmental and public health issues, over allegations made by French newspaper L’Equipe that he purchased the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) from China.

Last September, Ciprelli was suspended by the French cycling federation over allegations that he bought EPO back in 2007 before being reinstated after a French court said there were “doubts” about the legality of his suspension.

In a separate matter, Longo was cleared by the French federation on a technicality after she failed to provide her whereabouts to anti-doping authorities on three occasions.

Longo, who wants to compete at the London Olympics, won the first of her 13 world road and track titles in 1985 and picked up an Olympic road race gold medal in Atlanta in 1996. She has competed in seven Olympic Games so far.

Meanwhile, former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich described a doping ban for Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador as “unexpected and tough” yesterday on the eve of his own Court of Arbitration (CAS) decision.

“This is a tough verdict and I did not expect that,” said Ullrich. “I wish Alberto a lot of strength so that he can return in August in full force. “A cyclist like him is superb for the sport.”

Contador was banned for two years on Monday by CAS for failing a drugs test during his victorious 2010 Tour de France campaign.

The Spaniard, also stripped of the Tour title in Monday’s CAS ruling, is considering appealing and insisted he is innocent of deliberate doping.

He said he planned to return to competition when the retroactive ban ends in August. Ullrich is awaiting a CAS decision today over the German’s alleged involvement in a blood-doping scandal.

The Operation Puerto scandal broke in 2006, when Spanish police launched raids that uncovered more than 200 code-named blood bags, some of which were linked to cyclists.

Ullrich, who retired in 2007, became the first German to win the Tour de France in 1997. He has denied being involved in the scandal.

“Tomorrow is a happy day for me. I am happy to have the decision after waiting for almost six years,” Ullrich said. “I had to suffer a lot and even suffered burn-out. I am happy to have the verdict. Then I can again comment on it and then it is over and done with.”

• Tom Boonen edged closer to winning his fourth Tour of Qatar title when he grabbed the fourth stage ahead of Tom Veelers and Fabian Cancellara yesterday.

Riding under clear skies, unlike the previous day, Boonen timed his sprint to perfection, winning the 190-mile stage from Al Thakhira at Madinat Al Shamal in the northern tip of Qatar. It was Boonen’s second stage win this week and his 20th overall in Qatar. He improved his overall lead against American Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Barrucuda to 31 seconds with two stages to go.

Farrar suffered a puncture that badly affected his team, which won the team time trial on Monday. Farrar finished ninth yesterday. Spanish rider Juan Antonio Flecha of Sky Team was third overall, 34 seconds off the pace.

Boonen emerged the fittest of the riders on a day when stage three winner Mark Cavendish of Britain was left behind with nearly 30 kilometres remaining in the stage. Boonen, with help from his Omega-Pharma Quick Step team, increased his break to 21 seconds as fellow riders struggled due to strong crosswinds in the open areas near the finish line in Madinat Al Shamal.

With 5km to go, Boonen was racing Dutchman Vellers and Swiss star Cancellara. But the tall Belgian – winner in Doha in 2006, 2008 and 2009 – put in a perfect lunge for the finish line. Today, the riders start from the Camel Race Track and end the 160-kilometre stage five at Al Khor Corniche.

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