Report: Leinders to face criminal investigation

Belgian public prosecutors are to open a criminal investigation against former Rabobank and Team Sky doctor Geert Leinders, according to a report in Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the pubic prosecutor in Dendermonde, East Flanders did not give details as to the nature of the investigation but told NRC Handelsblad that it pertained to “the statements of Rabobank riders.”

In recent months, a number of Rabobank riders have confessed to doping during their time at the team and directly implicated Leinders. Danny Nelissen named Leinders when he confessed to using EPO at the team in 1996, while Levi Leipheimer is also reported to have told USADA that he was assisted by Leinders with his doping from 2002 to 2004.

In January, Leinders was questioned on the allegations by the Belgian Cycling Federation in a hearing that lasted over three hours.

Leinders worked for Rabobank from its inception in 1996 until 2009. He most recently worked for Team Sky in 2011 and 2012, although the British team opted not to renew Leinders’ contract in light of the revelations concerning the Rabobank team during his tenure.