Aldag apologises to his riders

Rolf Aldag, directeur sportif for T-Mobile Team, has apologised to his riders for his having used doping products during his career and for the results of his public confession. He has met with general understanding, but it was not unanimous.

The riders "have nothing to do with the affair, but it affects them today," he told the Frankfurter Rundschau. "Gerald Ciolek, for example, was nine years old when I doped. But now he has no more medical care and could hear catcalls when he trains, because he happens to wear the magenta jersey. Naturally we have to discuss these things. I have been very concerned with the question, do the riders still trust me?"

Most of the riders did, and said something to the effect of "It was wrong, but I don't know how I would have reacted in this situation, We judge you by your work today. And that is better than anything we have ever had in this or any other team. So we want you to keep on," he reported.

But at least one rider, whom he did not name, reacted more critically, saying "You didn't tell the truth for 12 years, how should I know whether you are telling the truth now?"