Three top Katusha riders oppose new team rules
- By VeloNews.com
- Published Jun. 7, 2009
Three top riders on the Katusha cycling team are refusing to comply with new internal anti-doping rules imposed by the Russian-backed program, a team official said on Sunday.
The trio who are refusing to sign contracts including the new conditions are Australian Robbie McEwen and Belgians Gert Steegmans and Kenny De Haes, Katusha’s sporting director Serge Parsani told Agence France Presse.
Under the stringent new conditions, racers testing positive would have to pay a fine amounting to five times their annual salary.
“This is an internal protocol which we see as a guarantee for the team,” said Parsani.
“It would be unacceptable to see a single rider putting the future of sixty people at risk,” he added.
The team established the new rules three weeks ago after one its riders, Christian Pfannberger of Austria, was tested positive last month.
Steegmans is under contract to race in the 61st Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, which starts at Nancy, in eastern France, on Sunday and Parsani said he expected the Belgian to complete the event.
“But after that, we shall see,” he noted.
Steegmans was quoted in Belgian media on Sunday as saying he made a counter-proposal to Katusha management, under which any postive-testing rider would pay compensation to the team.