Riis's confession: "I was completely doped"

Denmark's Bjarne Riis, famous for winning the 1996 Tour de France, recently revealed that he was doped during his victory.

Bjarne Riis publicly admitted to doping from 1993 to 1998, using substances such as EPO (erythropoietin), cortisone, and growth hormones. In his own words, he was "completely doped" when he won the Tour in 1996. He knew what he was doing and has no regrets, as he considered it part of the cycling culture of the time. Riis insisted that no one forced him to dope, but that he did it of his own volition and because "everyone thought there was no other choice."

In his autobiography, Riis reveals that he began doping with cortisone as early as 1980. He even recounts how, during the 1998 Tour, he flushed the vials of EPO and cortisone down the toilet when he learned that a police raid was underway.

Riis also explained that the professional environment he entered was rife with race-fixing, mafia promoters, and drugs. In his confessions, he wants to tell his story without implicating other cyclists, although he emphasizes that this was a widespread practice.

(MH with MaSi - Source : Mundo deportivo - Photo : ©DPA - Gero Breloer)