Is stopping off in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) premonitory? Or the parable of a cycling prisoner of its defects? In 2007, the Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov was taken there for blood doping; in 2010, the Spaniard Alberto Contador fell into it, after a test with clenbuterol. On the evening of Wednesday July 14, at the end of the 17e stage of the Tour de France 2021, it was the Bahrain Victorious team that was the subject of a search, carried out by the gendarmerie service of the Central Office for the fight against environmental and health damage public (Oclaesp).
The training has been targeted for ten days by a preliminary investigation conducted by the Marseille prosecutor’s office for “acquisition, transport, possession, importation of a substance or method prohibited for use by an athlete without medical justification”.
The Bahraini team has been increasing its performances since May, when the Italian Damiano Caruso placed second in the Giro. On the Critérium du Dauphiné, in June, the double in the mountains of the Ukrainian Mark Padun had raised doubts and criticisms: the rider previously having as his main feat at altitude a stage in the Tour of the Alps in 2018.
“Since the Giro, successes have arrived”
Best team for the moment on the Tour, the formation can also boast of having won two major stages: the champion of Slovenia Matej Mohoric won in the 7e marathon stage, July 2, at Le Creusot (Saône-et-Loire), the Belgian Dylan Teuns imitating him, the next day, in the 8e stage arriving at Grand-Bornand (Haute-Savoie).
Their teammate Sonny Colbrelli, Italian champion with a sprinter profile, distinguished himself during the 9e high mountain stage, in Tignes (Savoie), taking third place ahead of many climbers. Not to mention the Dutchman Wout Poels, polka-dot jersey for the best climber until Thursday, July 15.
“We are at a good level at the moment, in the spring, we had to be patient, but, since the Giro, the successes have arrived”, said Dylan Theuns, questioned on the recent performances of his training after his stage victory.
“We are in check on doping”
The boss of the team, the Slovenian Milan Erzen, had been suspected by the Austrian police, while the team was named Bahrain-Mérida, of having called on the services of German doctor Mark Schmidt, in the center of the ‘Aderlass’ anti-doping investigation, which broke out in 2019. According to information provided by investigators to the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation, he had come into contact with the latter, to purchase a centrifuge, equipment used in blood transfusions to separate red blood cells from plasma. The destination of the device has not been entirely clarified. But the International Cycling Union said of Milan Erzen: “He is an individual to whom we are attentive. We know his reputation. “
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