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25. 05. 09. - 13:00

Doping cyclist Kohl throws in the towel

By Thomas Hochwarter

Banned cyclist Bernhard Kohl announced the end of his career today (Mon).

The 27-year-old said: "It’s definitely over. There are no equal chances for athletes because of doping. I want to end this double life based on lies."

Kohl was banned for two years for using blood booster CERA during last year’s Tour de France, which he finished sensationally in third place and as best climber.

Kohl initially denied having done anything wrong last autumn but later on admitted his wrongdoings during the Tour, adding he wanted to cooperate with investigators. His former manager Stefan Matschiner was released from five weeks of investigative custody earlier this month, but investigations are continuing.

Matschiner is accused of cooperating with athletes in the case of a blood centrifuge. The gadget was found by investigators in a Budapest flat owned by him.

Kohl recently claimed Austrian cross country skier Christian Hoffmann and Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen and he had acquired the machine to use it themselves and also to rent it to other athletes.

But, speaking in Vienna today, the Lower Austrian revealed he had already done doping at the age of 19.

He said: "I did so voluntarily – in a system in which you cannot win without it.

"Talent, training and iron discipline are not enough at some point. That is where doping comes in. The ‘clean sport’ is the exception to the rule, unfortunately," he added.

Speaking about his future, Kohl said he planned to engage in doping prevention and organise cycling camps.

Kohl is still a target of investigations by the special group "SoKo Doping" in connection to the confiscated blood centrifuge. A check for DNA traces had revealed it has been used "a lot of times by many athletes," prosecution spokesman Gerhard Jarosch recently said.

But the cyclist is not the only athlete linked to doping who has opted for an early end of career.

Triathlon talent Lisa Hütthaler, 25, was initially given a six-year penalty that was reduced to just 18 months after she told investigators everything she knew about the Austrian doping scene. Nevertheless, the Lower Austrian announced her retirement in April.

Austrian Times

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