Paris (dpa) - Jeannie Longo, who is facing doping proceedings, is in further trouble. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against her husband and trainer Patrice Ciprelli by the French Cycling Federation (FFC).
Longo's husband is alleged to have bought EPO suitable for blood doping purposes in 2007. The 52-year-old French cycling icon Longo, who won 59 national titles, had violated control reporting obligations three times. She is facing a ban.
"Following the allegations of the purchase of EPO from Chinese production, the FFC has decided to initiate proceedings against Mr Ciprelli," said a statement from the federation. The FFC has provisionally suspended the husband of Longo, who is on the French start list for the World Cycling Championships beginning on 19 September in Copenhagen. The accused denied any involvement and threatened to take legal action.
The French sports newspaper "L'Équipe" had reported that Ciprelli had obtained EPO via the former US professional Joe Papp and documented the incident with an e-mail correspondence. Papp also admitted in an interview that he had supplied Ciprelli with the banned medication via a third party. According to Papp, the EPO was intended for Ciprelli's wife.
Longo's lawyer Bruno Ravaz rejected the accusations on behalf of his client. "Patrice Ciprelli rejects any involvement in the case. For him, this is a grossly false report and he reserves the right to take legal action under these circumstances," the lawyer explained according to "L'Équipe".
Longo, a member of the French Legion of Honour since January 2011, started cycling professionally in 1979. She was at her most successful in the 1980s, when she won three Tour de France victories and eight of her 13 world championship titles.
French cycling legend Jeannie Longo is in trouble.
