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Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Ineos-grenadiers staff member David Rozman leaves Tour de France over doping allegation links
Ineos-Grenadiers soigneur David Rozman has left the Tour de France following media reports linking him to disgraced German doctor Mark Schmidt, the convicted head of an international blood doping ring. Rozman has stepped back from race duties and has left the Tour, Ineos-Grenadiers said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Thursday, noting that Rozman had received a request from the International Testing Agency (ITA) to attend an interview. It comes following reports alleging Rozman exchanged incriminating text messages with Schmidt going back to June 2012. Ineos-Grenadiers was racing as Team Sky at the time when Rozman worked with 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, who won four Tour titles with the British team. There was no suggestion any of them engaged in illegal activity. Soigneurs are part of the support team staff with a focus on the riders' welfare. Schmidt was convicted of treating cyclists and winter-sports athletes with blood doping for years at the culmination of the Operation Aderlass criminal investigation in 2021. Schmidt, who previously worked for the Gerolsteiner cycling team, was accused of violating drug and doping laws in nearly 150 cases from his medical practice in Erfurt, Germany. German broadcaster ARD linked Rozman – without specifically naming him – to Schmidt in a documentary aired last month when it alleged that a man working for Ineos-Grenadiers had in 2012 exchanged incriminating messages with Schmidt, according to chat logs from the Operation Aderlass trial in Munich. Journalist Paul Kimmage, a former rider, subsequently named Rozman in a piece he wrote for the Irish Independent newspaper, and other outlets followed suit. Ineos-Grenadiers said Thursday it was aware of the allegations but had not received any evidence, nor had it been asked to take part in any inquiry. It said Rozman was informally contacted by an ITA staff member in April 2025 about alleged historical communications, and Rozman immediately notified the team. 'Although the ITA assured David at the time that he was not under investigation, Ineos promptly commissioned a thorough review by an external law firm,' the team said. 'The team has acted responsibly and with due process, taking the allegations seriously whilst acknowledging that David is a long-standing dedicated member of the team. The team continues to assess the circumstances and any relevant developments and has formally requested any relevant information from the ITA.'
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Ineos-Grenadiers staff member David Rozman leaves Tour de France over doping allegation links
Associated Press COURCHEVEL, France (AP) — Ineos-Grenadiers soigneur David Rozman has left the Tour de France in the wake of media reports linking him to disgraced German doctor Mark Schmidt, the convicted head of an international blood doping ring. Rozman 'has stepped back from race duties and has left the Tour,' Ineos-Grenadiers said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Thursday, noting that Rozman had received a request from the International Testing Agency (ITA) to attend an interview. It comes following reports alleging Rozman exchanged incriminating text messages with Schmidt back in June 2012. Soigneurs are part of the support team staff, with a focus on the riders' welfare. Schmidt was convicted of treating cyclists and winter-sports athletes with blood doping for years at the culmination of the Operation Aderlass criminal investigation in 2021. Schmidt, who previously worked for the Gerolsteiner cycling team, was accused of violating drug and doping laws in nearly 150 cases from his medical practice in Erfurt, Germany. German broadcaster ARD linked Rozman – without specifically naming him – to Schmidt in a documentary aired last month, when it alleged that a man working for Ineos-Grenadiers had in 2012 exchanged incriminating messages with Schmidt. Journalist Paul Kimmage, a former rider, subsequently named Rozman in a piece he wrote for the Irish Independent newspaper, and other outlets followed suit. Ineos-Grenadiers said Thursday it was aware of the allegations but had not received any evidence nor had it been asked to take part in any inquiry. It said Rozman was informally contacted by an ITA staff member in April 2025 'about alleged historical communications' and Rozman immediately notified the team. 'Although the ITA assured David at the time that he was not under investigation, Ineos promptly commissioned a thorough review by an external law firm,' the team said. 'The team has acted responsibly and with due process, taking the allegations seriously whilst acknowledging that David is a long-standing, dedicated member of the team. The team continues to assess the circumstances and any relevant developments, and has formally requested any relevant information from the ITA.' ___ Tour de France coverage: recommended Item 1 of 1 in this topic
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ineos-Grenadiers staff member David Rozman leaves Tour de France over doping allegation links
COURCHEVEL, France (AP) — Ineos-Grenadiers soigneur David Rozman has left the Tour de France in the wake of media reports linking him to disgraced German doctor Mark Schmidt, the convicted head of an international blood doping ring. Rozman 'has stepped back from race duties and has left the Tour,' Ineos-Grenadiers said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Thursday, noting that Rozman had received a request from the International Testing Agency (ITA) to attend an interview. It comes following reports alleging Rozman exchanged incriminating text messages with Schmidt back in June 2012. Soigneurs are part of the support team staff, with a focus on the riders' welfare. Schmidt was convicted of treating cyclists and winter-sports athletes with blood doping for years at the culmination of the Operation Aderlass criminal investigation in 2021. Schmidt, who previously worked for the Gerolsteiner cycling team, was accused of violating drug and doping laws in nearly 150 cases from his medical practice in Erfurt, Germany. German broadcaster ARD linked Rozman – without specifically naming him – to Schmidt in a documentary aired last month, when it alleged that a man working for Ineos-Grenadiers had in 2012 exchanged incriminating messages with Schmidt. Journalist Paul Kimmage, a former rider, subsequently named Rozman in a piece he wrote for the Irish Independent newspaper, and other outlets followed suit. Ineos-Grenadiers said Thursday it was aware of the allegations but had not received any evidence nor had it been asked to take part in any inquiry. It said Rozman was informally contacted by an ITA staff member in April 2025 'about alleged historical communications' and Rozman immediately notified the team. 'Although the ITA assured David at the time that he was not under investigation, Ineos promptly commissioned a thorough review by an external law firm,' the team said. 'The team has acted responsibly and with due process, taking the allegations seriously whilst acknowledging that David is a long-standing, dedicated member of the team. The team continues to assess the circumstances and any relevant developments, and has formally requested any relevant information from the ITA.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ineos-Grenadiers staff member David Rozman leaves Tour de France over doping allegation links
COURCHEVEL, France (AP) — Ineos-Grenadiers soigneur David Rozman has left the Tour de France in the wake of media reports linking him to disgraced German doctor Mark Schmidt, the convicted head of an international blood doping ring. Rozman 'has stepped back from race duties and has left the Tour,' Ineos-Grenadiers said in a statement provided to The Associated Press on Thursday, noting that Rozman had received a request from the International Testing Agency (ITA) to attend an interview. It comes following reports alleging Rozman exchanged incriminating text messages with Schmidt back in June 2012. Soigneurs are part of the support team staff, with a focus on the riders' welfare. Schmidt was convicted of treating cyclists and winter-sports athletes with blood doping for years at the culmination of the Operation Aderlass criminal investigation in 2021. Schmidt, who previously worked for the Gerolsteiner cycling team, was accused of violating drug and doping laws in nearly 150 cases from his medical practice in Erfurt, Germany. German broadcaster ARD linked Rozman – without specifically naming him – to Schmidt in a documentary aired last month, when it alleged that a man working for Ineos-Grenadiers had in 2012 exchanged incriminating messages with Schmidt. Journalist Paul Kimmage, a former rider, subsequently named Rozman in a piece he wrote for the Irish Independent newspaper, and other outlets followed suit. Ineos-Grenadiers said Thursday it was aware of the allegations but had not received any evidence nor had it been asked to take part in any inquiry. It said Rozman was informally contacted by an ITA staff member in April 2025 'about alleged historical communications' and Rozman immediately notified the team. 'Although the ITA assured David at the time that he was not under investigation, Ineos promptly commissioned a thorough review by an external law firm,' the team said. 'The team has acted responsibly and with due process, taking the allegations seriously whilst acknowledging that David is a long-standing, dedicated member of the team. The team continues to assess the circumstances and any relevant developments, and has formally requested any relevant information from the ITA.' ___ Tour de France coverage:
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ineos-Grenadiers soigneur leaves Tour de France amid investigation over 2012 doping allegations
A team soigneur, or carer, for Ineos-Grenadiers has left the Tour de France after being asked to speak to the International Testing Agency (ITA) over allegations relating to the 2012 season, the British team has confirmed. 'Following recent media allegations, David (Rozman) has now received a request from the ITA to attend an interview. Accordingly, he has stepped back from race duties and has left the Tour,' Ineos-Grenadiers said, adding the team had not been presented with formal evidence or asked to participate in any inquiry. The ITA declined to comment and Rozman did not answer phone calls. The Irish Independent reported earlier this month that Rozman exchanged messages in 2012 with a doctor linked to the Operation Aderlass doping scandal that shook the sporting world in 2019. German broadcaster ARD also last month reported exchanges involving Ineos, but did not name Rozman. READ MORE Operation Aderlass involved a German physician Mark Schmidt, who had been giving illegal blood transfusions to athletes from various disciplines, including cycling. Schmidt was later convicted and in 2021 was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison for administering illegal blood transfusions. The 2012 Tour de France was won by Britain's Bradley Wiggins with the team, then known as Team Sky. His former team-mate Chris Froome went on to win another four Tour titles for the team. Soigneurs typically look after the cyclists, providing massages and carrying out a host of other jobs for the team. Ineos said in its statement that it had commissioned an inquiry by an external law firm after Rozman informed the team of a first meeting with the ITA earlier this year. 'Team member David Rozman was informally contacted in April 2025 by a member of ITA staff, who asked him about alleged historical communications,' Ineos said. 'Although the ITA assured David at the time that he was not under investigation, Ineos promptly commissioned a thorough review by an external law firm,' it added, without elaborating. The news came as the 171.5km 18th stage finished atop the Col de la Loze, where Australian Ben O'Connor (Team Jayco AlUla) won from an early breakaway to take his first stage victory of this year's Tour. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) maintained his iron grip on the yellow jersey, extending his gap to Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in the general classification by nine seconds to lead the Dane by 4′26 overall after the pair finished the stage in second and third respectively. Ireland's Ben Healy remains ninth in the GC after Thursday's stage, finishing 17th, 9′28 behind O'Connor.
