The scientist Sandro Donati, who works for the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA, has evidence that the Spanish Indurain team Banesto collaborated with the controversial doctor Francesco Conconi in the 1990s and paid "large sums" for this. This was reported by Dutch television on its website "nos.nl".
Donati's thesis is supported by Dutch journalist Ludo van Klooster, who told "nos.nl" that he had seen "the whole team, including Indurain" at Conconi's workplace at the University of Ferrara in Italy.
Conconi, who had carried out self-experiments with EPO and also reported on them, is regarded as the mentor of Armstrong's doctor Michele Ferrari. In 1984, he led Francesco Moser to the world hour record and carried out blood transfusions, which were not yet banned at the time.
In 1996, the now 77-year-old Conconi was first investigated in connection with EPO doping and later charged. After years of proceedings, the charges of forming a criminal organisation, violation of the Medicines Act, forgery of documents and sports fraud were dismissed in 2003 for formal reasons or were time-barred. Judge Franca Oliva called the doctor "morally guilty".
Following the conviction of confessed doper Lance Armstrong, the 48-year-old Indurain is considered the most successful Tour starter with his victories in France from 1991 to 1995. In 1992 and 1993, the Spaniard, a strong time trialist like Armstrong, won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour in one year.
