Berden admits EPO use

At an extremely short press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Belgian cyclo-crosser Ben Berden (John Saey-Deschacht) admitted that he had taken EPO last December, owing to the fact that he felt "tired". Berden, who has been one of Belgium's best cyclo-crossers in recent years, confirmed what his sponsors had previously said. "At that moment [mid-December, 2004], I had a hematocrit of 38. With a tough period coming up, I did not want to disappoint the sponsors and fans. I regret my actions and will not be asking for a counter-analysis."

Berden, 29, didn't say whether or not he would retire, but his admission means the end of the John Saey-Deschacht team.

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1