Sainz sentenced to 18-month jail term

Paris court sentenced Bernard 'Dr. Mabuse' Sainz on Friday to three years in prison, 18 months to be served, for practicing medicine illegally and administering banned substances. Attorney Bertrand Lavelot, who was charged as an accomplice, was released.

Sainz' lawyer, Jean-Louis Pelletier, immediately announced his intention to appeal the verdict.

Sainz and Lavelot were on trial for offenses dating back to the late 1990's, when Sainz, professing to be a 'homeopath' prescribed banned substances to cyclists such as EPO, corticosteroids and amphetamines. Sainz also ran afoul of the law in 2002 when he was stopped for speeding and syringes and amphetamines were found in his possession. That arrest led to the search of Belgian Frank Vandenbroucke's house, where authorities found EPO, morphine, and clenbuterol.