CSC denies keeping files on journalists

An Associated Press report claiming that Team CSC keeps its own files on journalists has been strongly denied by the Danish team. The report quoted Gilles le Roc'h, the president of the International Association of Cycling Journalists (AIJC), who said that Team CSC's Bjarne Riis kept a file with journalists' details, photos, and their style of reporting and questioning, which the team could use to decide whether to speak to a certain journalist or not, and in particular to avoid those who wish to ask about doping. Le Roc'h claimed that this was "in opposition to French law, which forbids such files to be kept in a professional context."

Team CSC reacted with a strong denial that it kept files. "We are very shocked to hear the accusations made by the French journalist, Giles Le Roc'h, about the way Team CSC interacts with the press," said the team in a statement. "These are very serious and insulting claims and they are all completely false. We do not have, nor do we intend to make such a file in the future, and furthermore we do not agree with the keeping of such files on journalists.

"We are known - both nationally and internationally - as a team with a sympathetic, professional and well functioning interaction with the press...We have contacted Giles Le Roc'h and have demanded a complete retraction of these accusations."