Ineos respond to staff member's alleged link to Aderlass doping case

Ineos Grenadiers have responded to recently published allegations that a longstanding member of the team’s staff had links to Mark Schmidt, the German doctor who was jailed following the Aderlass doping inquiry.

Earlier this week, Dave Brailsford, who has recently returned to a role with the team, refused to answer questions from reporters on the Tour de France about the staff member in question, who works as a soigneur. Domestique understands that the staff member has been working for Ineos on this year’s Tour. 

In a statement on Thursday, the team stated that it had received no communication from authorities about the matter. The team added that it has requested any available information on the case from the International Testing Authority (ITA). 

Ineos have not yet responded to a request from Domestique as to whether the staff member remains on the Tour de France. 

'In the Slipstream,' a documentary broadcast on German station ARD last month, brought to light text messages exchanged between the staff member and Schmidt during the 2012 Tour de France, in which Team Sky (now Ineos) placed first and second through Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

ARD did not name the Ineos staff member due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, though they did approach him for an interview on the final day of the Giro d’Italia in Rome.

The staff member continues to work for Ineos, and he was named in an article published in Ireland by the Sunday Independent last weekend.

“Ineos Grenadiers Cycling Team is aware of recent media allegations relating to the 2012 season and a member of its staff,” read a statement from Ineos to ITV Sport and otherson Thursday evening.

“These allegations have not to date been presented by any appropriate authority, however, the team has made a request to the International Testing Agency (ITA) to request any information it considers relevant. The team reiterates its policy of zero tolerance to any breach of the applicable WADA codes, historic or current.”

ARD reported that the Sky staff member’s 2012 communication with Schmidt, the former Milram team doctor, included a text message saying: “Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?”

According to ARD, the staff member also invited Schmidt for a beer on the night before Chris Froome took stage victory at La Planche des Belles Filles on the 2012 Tour.

Schmidt was arrested in early 2019 and accused of operating a blood doping ring for cyclists and skiers since 2011. He was later sentenced to almost five years in prison. 

The trial listed a series of cover names used by Schmidt for his clients. To date, only six cyclists have received doping bans due to their implication in Operation Aderlass: Kristijan Koren, Borut Bozic, Stefan Denifl, Georg Preidler, Danilo Hondo and Alessandro Petacchi.