Implicated in the doping scandal: who stands submerged?
The Operation Aderlass doping scandal, first revealed in February, has expanded to implicate a wider network, primarily centred around cycling. Beyond the initially known athletes, the latest findings published by the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office on March 20 have linked up to 22 athletes to blood doping through Matthias Schwazer’s network.
Among the athletes linked to the doping network are several prominent former cyclists, such as Alessandro Petacchi, a decorated sprinter. The network also allegedly extends to staff members and management within cycling teams, with a staffer reportedly holding an important position at Ineos–Grenadiers (formerly Team Sky), with message exchanges dating back to 2012 involving a doctor connected to Operation Aderlass.
The managing director of Bahrain–Mérida team, Milan Erzen, was reported to have requested doping assistance, although he denied involvement. The doping activities within the network are said to stretch back at least to 2012, with communications suggesting systematic doping support within professional cycling environments.
Despite the wide-ranging investigations, prosecutors have declined to pursue sanctions against or publicly name some of the "up to 20" people involved to some degree with Matthias Schwazer’s doping operation, indicating that not all implicated individuals have been officially identified or sanctioned yet.
The doping method involved athletes having blood taken from them during the pre-season and returning the blood during the competition phase to increase red blood cells and oxygen transportation ability. This practice poses a particular risk during long-distance flights, with athletes travelling with an additional liter of blood in their body, increasing the risk of thrombosis.
The total number of athletes involved in the doping scandal is not specified, but the investigation has implicated athletes from eight European nations, with a "small percentage" being women. The athletes come from three winter sports and two summer sports, including cycling and triathlon. The names of the other affected athletes are not expected to be announced for several weeks, or even months, as investigations are still ongoing, and phones, computers, and data carriers are being evaluated.
In Seefeld, on February 27, Max Hauke was caught with a needle in his arm during a doping raid. Other athletes from Austria, Estonia, Kazakhstan, and Germany are also involved in the investigation. However, the paragraph does not provide any new information about the method of doping used in the scandal or the sports the newly arrested individual was involved in.
The evidence in the current doping case is excellent, suggesting that more athletes are likely to be convicted compared to the 2006 doping scandal Fuentes. Each athlete had 10 to 15 withdrawals or returns per year, and the German doctor charged athletes between 4,000 and 12,000 euros per season for his doping practices, collecting approximately 100,000 euros per year.
The Operation Aderlass doping scandal continues to unfold, with the potential for more athletes and team personnel to be implicated as investigations progress. The findings highlight the need for continued vigilance and the importance of maintaining integrity within sport.
- The science of doping practices, as used in the Operation Aderlass scandal, involves athletes having their blood manipulated to increase red blood cells and oxygen transportation ability, which poses a risk during long-distance flights.
- Sports implicated in the Operation Aderlass doping scandal include winter sports, summer sports like cycling, and triathlon, with athletes from eight European countries being found involved, though the total number remains unspecified.
- Beyond athletes, the scandal extends to general-news topics like staff members and management within cycling teams, with reports suggesting engagement with criminal networks in medical-conditions matters, health-and-wellness, and crime-and-justice.
