Former Rabobank rider Grischa Niermann admits to doping between 2000 and 2003
Former Rabobank rider Grischa Niermann has confessed to doping between 2000 and 2003.
Last Updated: 28/01/13 3:47pm
The 37-year-old German, who retired last year after 12 seasons with the Dutch team, admitted he had been to "hell and back" in recent weeks and will now divulge all of his knowledge of cheating to anti-doping authorities.
He has been suspended from his role with the Dutch Cycling Federation, which he took up on January 1, for six months from February 15.
Niermann told the federation's website: "Thanks to the people around me, I realised in 2003 that banned substances was not the path I wanted to follow.
"I will give anti-doping bodies and relevant commissions all further information.
"I went through hell and back the last few weeks, but I decided that this is the only possible way to go for me."
Despite the suspension, Dutch Cycling Federation director Huib Kloosterhuis insisted Niermann will not be removed from his position as head of the Rabobank Development Team.
Niermann is the fourth former Rabobank rider to confess to doping, following Danny Nelissen, Marc Lotz and Thomas Dekker.
Dekker, who was banned for two years in 2009 following a retrospective positive test for EPO, said last week that he would disclose his full knowledge of doping to the Dutch Anti-Doping Agency.
