Cycling - Will T-Mobile Retire from the Cycling Section?

First Sergej Gontschar, then Patrik Sinkewitz and at the end Lorenzo Bernucci as well. Three cyclists, who had to leave the T-Mobile Team this year. The 36-year-old Ukrainian Sergej Gontschar was released last June 20th due to an offense against the team's intern code of conduct. The decision was made from the team-management after an independent committee met and reviewed the information. Sergej achieved two victories over the time trial at last year's Tour de France and was also entitled to wear the yellow tricot temporary.

The Italian Lorenzo Bernucci, who was born in 1979 in Saranza, cycled in his first years from 2002 to 2004 for the Belgium squad Landbouwkrediet-Colnago. After their removal he changed over to the T-Mobile Team. After he was tested positive to appetite suppressant Sibutramin the T-Mobile Team released him as well on September 4th this year. Sibutramin is on the list of prohibited substances since 2006.

Even before Bernucci, the German Patrick Sinkewitz was released after he confessed on July 31st, 2007 that he was taking the medication Testogel. Sinkewitz had been cycling for the T-Mobil Team since 2006. He made his confession because of the positive come out of an A-sample which was taken from him on June 8th. He passed on the B-sample and accepted a two years suspension as well as a disqualification from the Tour de France of minimum four years.

Sinkewitz commented that the office for blood transfusions in the hospital in Freiburg was not created exclusively for him. He speaks about systematically doping in the team even still during the Tour de France 2006. With his confession the 27-years-old Sinkewitz hopes he can benefit from the principal witness regulation which according to the present arrangement would drop his suspension down to one year. The German Jörg Jaschke also wants to return into his professional career. The T-Mobile Team had installed one of the keenest Anti-Doping-Programs just this year together with the Danish CSC-Team after the incidents in 2006.