International

Former Tour Winner Admits to Doping in 1996 Win

By Tom Goldman

Published May 25, 2007 at 1:00 PM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

A Danish Tour de France champion acknowledged Friday that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the prestigious cycling title in 1996.

The news comes as an Italian racing champion faces a 21-month ban for attempted doping, and the current Tour de France champion, American Floyd Landis, awaits an arbitration ruling that could strip him of his championship. Landis tested positive for synthetic testosterone during last year's race.

The admission by Bjarne Riis is the latest blow to the elite levels of bicycle racing. Now, many in the sport are trying to hold on as cycling staggers from one doping scandal to the next.

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Riis said that from 1993 to '98, he took EPO, an oxygen-boosting substance favored by cyclists. He also took cortisone and human growth hormone.