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German Cyclist Admits Doping

Jaksche to Become Witness in Investigations

Pro German cyclist Jörg Jaksche says he engaged in doping for years and says the practice was systematic. In an interview with SPIEGEL, he comes out and offers to serve as a witness in investigations.

German professional cyclist Jörg Jaksche, 30, has admitted to having doped for years and has volunteered to served as a key witness to German sporting organizations and investigative officials.

In an interview published in Monday's edition of SPIEGEL, Jaksche admits the practices, making him the first professional cyclist to have used the blood doping services of Spanish doping doctor Eufemiano Fuentes starting in 2005. Jaksche's statements back up a report by Spanish Guardia Civil authorities.

"I think it's important for the future of this sport that someone says, Okay, this is how things work," Jaksche said. In his interview, he describes the systematic use of doping in professional racing. Jaksche, who has raced for Polti, Team Telekom, Once, CSC and Liberty Seguros, says in the interview that team managers are often involved in doping.

"Of course no one held my arm down to force me to get a shot," he says, "but now some of these team leaders who earlier doped us, who got the dope for us, are now the ones acting like they are engaging themselves for a clean sport."