Germany's Bert Grabsch upset with dopers (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Time Trial World Champion Bert Grabsch blasted his former Team Phonak teammates, saying they betrayed him, in an interview printed in the Aachener Nachrichten.
Grabsch, 33, said that his former Phonak captains Oscar Camenzind, Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, all of whom authorities caught doping, had doubly betrayed him. "One time in that they doped and gave themselves an advantage. In addition to that, I lost money. I worked hard as a helper for them, but because of the doping I didn't get the promised bonuses."
The German, who now rides for Team Columbia, noted the years of competitively racing that built to his results.
"I have trained and trained. Only now am I reaping the reward for the long hard work. I am proud to have achieved sporting success without doping."
He said that those who have served their doping-related suspensions have a right to return to racing, such as Ivan Basso, Patrik Sinkewitz and Jörg Jaksche. Grabsch has problems with the latter two, though, who received shortened suspensions since they cooperated with authorities. They didn't cooperate voluntarily, he said, "but because they were caught doping. Journalists were all over those two, looking for sensations."
Grabsch noted that he is only the fourth German to win the World Championship title. "But I haven't been invited to appear on television. After all, I don't have any doping sensations to offer." (SW)
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