Stefan Schumacher, a German Cyclist who won this year’s Tour de France announced last week that he will be suing the French anti Doping Authorities for defamation. It started when the anti doping agency found out that Schumacher tested positive for doping. The AFLD claimed he tested positive for the EPO blood booster CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator), two days before the start of the Tour. The test was carried out at a laboratory in Lausanne, while the other one at the laboratory used by France’s national anti-doping agency.

Schumacher denied these accusation. “I have been judged and pilloried. My conscience is clear,” Schumacher said. ”I don’t want to stop here and I will not stop here. The people who have always believed in me and continue to do so don’t deserve this.” he added. In his previous statements to SID,”This is the first time I have heard of all this. All I can say is that I have not undertaken doping. This is nonsense.” However, his Gerolsteiner team confirmed his involvement in the use of this banned substance. Hans-Michael Holczer, Gerolsteiner team manager revealed this to German sports agency SID and confirmed earlier reports on the website of sports newspaper L’Equipe. Holczer already said that legal action would be taken against Schumacher. He even said, “We have been fooled by this man.”

Stefan Schumacher already left the Gerolsteiner team and signed with Belgian outfit QuickStep. No word has come from QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevre on the status of Schumacher with his team.

Schumacher is one of the riders who failed drug tests at this year’s Tour de France. The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) also announced that Leonardo Piepoli, who won the race’s 10th stage to Hautacam in the Pyrenees, was also tested for CERA. Piepoli, a specialist climber, was a key helper of former Saunier Duval teammate Riccardo Ricco, who was banned for 20 months after testing positive for CERA at the Tour, where he won two stages. Two cyclists from Spain also tested positive for EPO. They are Manuel Beltran of Liquigas and Barloworld rider Moises Duenas. Kazakhstan’s rider Dmitri Fofonov, who rides for Credit Agricole, was also tested positive for a banned stimulant.

The scandal on Schumacher’s use of banned substances is not the first one. He was also tested positive for amphetamines. He was still able to race at the Tour despite testing positive for amphetamines because the test was carried out by police while he was driving. Amphetamines is a stimulant which can be found in many over-the-counter medicines.

The German cyclist made a sensation when he won both time trials, beating Switzerland’s two-time world champion Fabian Cancellara. Whatever the result of his libel suit against the French Anti Doping Agency, Schumacher already have a bad record on the Tour, using illegal steroids.

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