D'Hont to write about Ullrich

By Susan Westemeyer

Jef D'Hont is writing another book, and this time he is taking on Jan Ullrich. His first book, published last year, set off a series of doping confessions and investigations. "Before the first book, Rudy Pevenage asked me, 'leave me out, and Jan, too, please. Because we both want to tell our stories ourselves.' I did what he asked – but they didn't. They haven't said anything so far. So I will."

In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, D'Hont said that he had heard from Ullrich after saying that he had made remarks directly relating the former Telekom rider to the use of EPO. "He called me one time, and asked, Jef, did you really say that? I said, yes, I did. He said other things too, but I can't speak about those – not yet. I am sure that Ullrich is sweating about it, because I have a tape of what he said." He continued, "In my second book there will be a lot about Ullrich."

D'hont said that no one from the UCI or any national federation had contacted him for further information on what he knows. "No functionary in cycling seems to have any interest in my knowledge."

The former soigneur has gotten some feedback, though. After Philippe Gilbert won the Omloop Het Volk earlier this month, he said "Thank you, Jef. I won only because of you, because of your book!" D'Hont explained that after the Festina scandal in 1998, French teams have had "hard anti-doping programmes and so the French riders didn't have a chance against the others, who obviously continued with their deceit." Gilbert told him, "The others are suddenly not as good as before," and "I took that as a very fine compliment."