German doping expert defends Hondo

Werner Franke, a German doping expert who will help defend Danilo Hondo in his appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport later this month, says that his client is innocent. "Nothing fits together in Hondo's case. I find that an injustice is being done to this young man." Hondo was given a two year suspension (one year of that on probation) after being found to have used Carphedon during the Tour of Murcia last March.

"Carphedon is an extremely strong stimulant," said Franke. "Hondo cannot have taken it the night before the positive tests, that would have been counterproductive. If he had taken it before the stage, it would have given a much stronger result in the test. The amount that was found is laughably small. Besides, he knew that he would be tested."

Franke also found it difficult to believe that Hondo would have been able to obtain Carphedon. "You can only get this medication through certain channels in Russia or China, where it is used by the military and the space flight programs. You simply can't buy it commercially."

Werner concluded that the positive doping test resulted from a "contaminated water bottle."

Courtesy of Susan Westemeyer