Durand admits name will be on French Senate list of EPO positives

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Jacky Durand was often in solo breaks but once in a while hung on to big cars as well, costing him to see the Champs-Elysees in 2002.(Image credit: Peter Geyer)

Jacky Durand says his name will appear on the list of 44 positives for EPO that will be released by the French Senate on Wednesday.

"I admit my actions," he said. "I always deliberately discussed this for many years, whether with young riders, different journalists or my employers. Anyway I think that nobody is fooled. Press, supporters, spectators and racers know the difference between current and traditional practices regarding EPO. But of course, the general public may be confused between what happened in 1998 and what is happening now.

"The next generation must not pay for our crap from the past," he continued. "Today, I do not think of myself, but of them. My career is behind me. I think of the kid that is a break out during the Tour and to himt we will say 'you, you're drugged, like the others'. I think of a Thibaut Pinot, who finished 10th in the Tour at age 22, or a Romain Bardet. And I do not want it discredited by the pretext that our generation has been bullshit. Our sport is much cleaner now, I want people to understand."

According to French media, 44 of 60 urine samples that were retroactively tested contained traces of EPO. In 1998 there was no test for the banned blood-boosting drug. The late Marco Pantani won the 1998 Tour de France ahead of Germany's Jan Ullrich and Bobby Julich of the USA. It was also the year of the Festina Affaire, when the team's soigneur was caught with a car full of doping products and the whole team was forced to leave the race.