French court recommends three years for Sainz

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The prosecutor of a Paris Court asked for a three year prison term on Thursday, with at least 18...

The prosecutor of a Paris Court asked for a three year prison term on Thursday, with at least 18 months served for Bernard Sainz, for trafficking, administration of drugs and the illegal practice of medicine. Nicknamed 'Dr. Mabuse', the former horse breeder was involved in distributing illegal performance enhancing drugs to professional cyclists in the late 1990's.

The prosecutor also recommended a four month suspended sentence for attorney Bernard Lavelot, who was accused as an accomplice. Sainz' lawyer, Jean-Louis Pelletier, denounced the recommendation as "disproportionate", comparing it to the ten months sentence handed down to trainer Willy Voet after the Festina affair.