Tuesday 23 June 2015 11:55, UK
Former Tour de France winner and Team CSC manager Bjarne Riis knew about doping in his team but failed to act, according to a report by the Danish Anti-Doping Authority and the country's National Olympic Committee.
The report, released on Tuesday and based on more than 50 interviews and work over 30 months, was inspired by a US Anti-Doping Agency investigation whose probe led to the downfall of seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong for doping offences.
Riis won the Tour in 1996 and subsequently admitted doping during his riding career. He later managed CSC, which evolved into Team Saxo-Tinkoff, but was sacked in March following a dispute with new owner Oleg Tinkov.
Michael Ash, director of the Danish Anti-Doping Authority, said in a statement: "Management, with Bjarne Riis in overall charge, has at a minimum had knowledge of doping within the team, but failed to intervene. It is completely unacceptable."
The report also contains an allegation by Danish rider Bo Hamburger that Riis asked him in 2000 to acquire EPO, which improves aerobic capacity by artificially raising the user's red blood cell count, for German Team Telekom rider Jorg Jaksche.
Jaksche confirmed the story to investigators, but Riis rejected the allegation, saying that although he coached the two cyclists, he did not know that Hamburger and Jaksche were doping.
The 51-year-old Riis was not available for comment.
The report recommends that night-time testing of athletes should be introduced, that blood values from tests should either be delayed or not revealed to them and that a licensing system for team managers and doctors be introduced.
In a statement, the Authority added: "Danish leaders in the sport failed to respond to specific knowledge about their own riders' use of doping."
With many of the revelations contained in the report date back more than 10 years, a statue of limitations for doping cases applies and no disciplinary charges can be brought.
