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Matthias Kessler fired by after positive B-sample.
Team Astana has fired Matthias Kessler following the positive results of his B-sample, the team announced Friday. Swiss Cycling, the national federation responsible for Kessler, had earlier in the day officially announced the results of the B-sample.
“The B-sample confirms the A-sample,” said Lorenz Schlaefli, the director of Swiss Cycling. Kessler is a German citizen who lives in Switzerland and therefore rides under a Swiss license.
It was announced two weeks ago that Kessler had tested positive for testosterone in a test before the Fleche Wallonne. He has always maintained his innocence.
Source: cyclingnews.com
And from the same cyclingnews post: Zabel stripped of ’96 Green Jersey.
The Tour de France will take away Erik Zabel’s green points jersey from the 1996 Tour, Patrice Clerc, President of the Tour organizer, Amoury Sports, said on Friday in Bourg-en-Brasse. The step follows Zabel’s confession that he used EPO during one week of that Tour.
Because of “technical reasons,” Zabel’s name has not yet been removed from the list of winners, according to the dpa. Zabel’s former Team Telekom colleague, Bjarne Riis, who won the Tour that year, has already had his name removed from the list of winners, following his doping confession.
I agree with the former and disagree with the latter. Kessler pissed out an 85:1 testosterone level this spring. I’m amazed he hasn’t exploded from the pressure. He should be fired by his team. Zabel had balls to admit what he did eleven years ago. But taking away the title is a waste of time. Does anyone actually think the rest of the field was clean and Zabel somehow “cheated” his was to the top spot? It’s the same as knocking Riis off the top spot, who do you give it to instead?
This is how the Sprint Competition ended up in Paris that year:
1. Zabel
2. Moncassin
3. Baldato
4. Abdujaparov
5. Blijlevens
To the best of my knowledge, the only one of those riders never implicated in a doping scandal is good old Fred Moncassin.
So, Fred is now the winner of the 1996 Green Jersey? Eleven years after the fact? I’m sure that’s really going to help him out with next years contract and those lucrative endorsement deals the winner is due.
I’m sure he’ll be stoked.
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This is so stupid, taking back jerseys from guys who won them before. If they’re going to do that, might as well go and raid Virenque’s entire closet of polka dots, and get Eddy M’s 5 yellow jerseys (he was sanctioned for doping as well), and Ullrich, and Pantani, and so on and so forth. So dumb. they might as well take everyone’s jersey back and start at 0 again. Fools.