Cyclist caught in doping scandal gets suspended sentence
Sports
By
AFP
| Jul 23, 2020
Austrian cyclist Georg Preidler, caught up in last year's massive blood doping scandal, has been given a 12-month suspended sentence for sports fraud, a court ruled yesterday.
The Austrian anti-doping agency last year banned Preidler, together with fellow Austrian cyclist Stefan Denifl, for four years, following the duo's provisional suspensions by cycling's world governing body the UCI.
The regional court in Innsbruck ordered the suspended sentence for Preidler, who also has to pay 2,880 euros (Sh362,022) as a penalty.
Prosecutors have accused Preidler of practising blood doping and using growth hormones from March 2017 to March 2019, defrauding 286,000 euros in sponsorship and other income.
The 30-year-old had pleaded partially guilty during the trial. Preidler and the prosecution can still appeal the verdict.
Preidler and Denifl were among the first sportspeople last year to receive bans following a spectacular police raid at the Nordic World Skiing Championships in the Austrian resort of Seefeld in February, 2019.
The operation led to the dismantling of a doping ring, allegedly organised by German doctor Mark Schmidt, who was also arrested.
The network supplied doping products to more than 20 athletes.