Scott Mercier says doping culture at US Postal made him quit professional cycling
Tuesday 23 October 2012 23:29, UK
Image:Scott Mercier (C): Decided he did not want to be a professional cyclist after being asked to dope
Former US Postal Service rider Scott Mercier has described how being asked to dope by a team doctor prompted him to end his professional cycling career.
Mercier left the team as a 29-year-old that year and did not return to the European peloton.
His claims imply that organised doping at the team was introduced before Armstrong joined in 1998 after recovering from his battle with cancer.
Mercier added: "On our team we had a refrigerator which had a special lunch box in it. You could shake it and hear the glass vials clanging together.
"I never saw what was in there, but common sense tells you it was EPO, which has to be refrigerated and is stored in glass vials.
"And then of course (there was) the incident with Pedro Celaya offering me steroids for training."
USADA's investigation into doping on the US Postal Service team has ended with Armstrong being banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
Although he did not ride with him on the team, Mercier is convinced that Armstrong is guilty of the charges.
He said: "I think it's a shame that's he's still denying it, there's overwhelming evidence. There is eyewitness testimony and apparently they have hard evidence of blood manipulation. It's sad and pathetic really."
