Galimzyanov confesses to EPO use

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Denis Galimzyanov has confessed to EPO use and renounced the right to request the analysis of his B sample after he returned a positive test for the substance in an out of competition control on March 22.

In an open letter published on the Katusha website on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after news of his positive test first broke, Galimzyanov took sole responsibility for his actions and declared himself “ready to face the appropriate punishment.”

Galimzyanov insisted that he had acted alone, and his handwritten note moves to absolve his Katusha team of the blame. “I would like to draw A PARTICULAR ATTENTION for that fact that Katusha Team has nothing to do with what happened,” he wrote. “No team member knew and could know about what I did. It was my personal decision and my responsibility.”

Galimzyanov has been part of the wider Katusha set-up since he first turned professional. He joined Premier in 2006, which subsequently became the Katusha Continental team and he made the jump to ProTour level in 2009. His first major impact on the world stage came last season, as he took stage victories at the Three Days of De Panne and the Tour of Beijing, as well as Paris-Brussels.

The 25-year-old Russian confirmed that the out of competition control took place on March 22 in Italy, where he resides on the shores of Lake Iseo during the racing season.

Galimzyanov's handwritten confession, which was then translated from Russian into English and published on the Katusha website under the title “Letter of explanation by Denis Galimzyanov,” gives no details as to the extent of his EPO use, nor does it mention where he obtained the substance and who administered it.

Galimzyanov's letter in full:

I, the undersigned Denis Galimzyanov, rider of Katusha Team, want to clear up the current matter with my positive doping test. On March 22, 2012, being in Italy, I received a visit from anti-doping control officers in an out of competition time. A month later, a urine sample taken during that visit indicated EPO.

I recognize a fact of banned substance usage.

I fully realized what I did.

I deeply regret about what happened, and I apologize to the whole team and my teammates, along with my fans whom I disappointed.

I am ready to suffer an appropriate punishment.

I would like to draw A PARTICULAR ATTENTION for that fact that Katusha Team has nothing to do with what happened. No team member knew and could know about what I did. It was my personal decision and my responsibility.

I refuse from my right to request and attend the analysis of my B sample.”

 April 17, 2012