Holczer, Van Gerwen want Matschiner to name names

Hans-Michael Holczer and Gerry van Gerwen have challenged Stefan Matschiner to name the former Team Gerolsteiner rider or riders who he claims received EPO from Bernhard Kohl.

In an interview with the Austrian broadcaster ORF, Matschiner alleged that he supplied Kohl with Dynepo, a form of EPO, which Kohl allegedly passed on to some of his teammates during the Tour de France 2007 and also in 2008. “I was only indirectly involved, and don't have any witnesses,” said Matschiner.

He did, however, claim to have one witness for another transaction, involving a currently active rider who he did not name. “One of my co-workers met him in Rosenheim and gave him two packages of Dynepo. So I have a witness. He can back it up.” The rider paid Kohl for the drug, who passed the money on to Matschiner.

Holczer, former Gerolsteiner manager, has already turned his lawyers loose on the subject. Currently at the Tour de France as a representative for Skoda, Holczer told German news agency SID that as soon as he heard the news he told his attorney to contact the Austrian. “He should name the names that he knows.”

Gerry van Gerwen, manager of Team Milram, signed a number of former Gerolsteiner riders for this season. “If Matschiner is a man, then he should name names,” the Dutchman said. “We are Milram and not Gerolsteiner.”

Kohl's attorney, Manfred Ainedter, denied all the charges, according to the APA news agency. “The fact is that Bernhard Kohl passed nothing along and so didn't receive any money,” he said.

Kohl's former manager Matschiner is under investigation for violating Austrian's anti-doping and prescription medicine laws. The former German pro was suspended for two years after testing positive for EPO CERA during the Tour de France 2008.