Team BMC Racing Assistant Arrested for EPO Links

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06/30/2011| 0 comments
by AP and Roadcycling.com

Team BMC Racing Assistant Arrested for EPO Links

A Belgian state prosecutor says authorities have arrested a part-time assistant for Team BMC Racing following the import of 195 vials of the banned blood-booster EPO two years ago.

A Belgian state prosecutor says authorities have arrested a part-time assistant for Team BMC Racing following the import of 195 vials of the banned blood-booster EPO two years ago.

Prosecutor Johan Lescrauwaet from the Belgian city of Ypres says Sven Schoutteten was questioned after the vials were discovered in a package intercepted by customs officers at Liege airport in 2009 and later found to be EPO.

Lescrauwaet says a judge ordered the conditional release of Schoutteten on Thursday, three days after he was detained by police.

Team BMC Racing president Jim Ochowicz said that he doesn't believe his riders "are out looking for EPO."

"This is very disturbing news. Although he was only picked up to work when we didn't have enough regular therapists to support the races, we want to make sure his interaction with our team was nothing out of the ordinary," Ochowicz added.

"We do not believe there were any improprieties happening during his time with the team, but we want to make sure. He was not scheduled to be at this year's Tour de France, of course," Ochowicz concluded.

Team BMC Racing is set to race in the Tour de France 2011, which starts on Saturday.

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