CADF decided against proceedings after reports linking Ferrari to Astana
The Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) confirmed in a statement Wednesday that it had received information linking Astana riders to banned doctor Michele Ferrari, but that it had decided against initiating disciplinary proceedings “after careful review of the elements available.”
According to the statement, the organization “deeply regrets that the report was leaked,” and is conducting an inquiry on how the information reached the public.
The statement comes three days after Scandinavian media reported that the CADF possessed intelligence suggesting that Ferrari had been working with Astana, and specifically riders Jakob Fuglsang and Alexey Lutsenko. According to Politiken, the CADF received information that Ferrari had met with Fuglsang and Lutsenko, and that he had attended last year’s Volta a Catalunya, among other allegations.
Ferrari, who helped Lance Armstrong dope during his career, is banned for life, and athletes are banned from working with him.
Astana, Fuglsang, team manager Alexandre Vinokourov, and Ferrari all denied the connection shortly after the media reports emerged.
The CADF did not initially comment on the reports, but now says that the while it did seek “additional research” from intelligence service provider Sportradar, it ultimately “has not submitted the report to the UCI for the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the individuals or team in question.”
The CADF’s statement also noted that the organization “treated the information contained in the report with extreme care. At no point did it share the findings with any other third party, including media representatives.”
How it ended up in the press, then, remains unclear, but CADF says it is looking into the leak.
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