Sieger des Einzelzeitfahrens am Attersee disqualifiziert - Dopingfall beim King of the Lake 2016

Erstmals wurden beim King of the Lake am Attersee in diesem Jahr Dopingproben durchgeführt. Der Slowene Igor Kopse hatte in der Herren-Wertung die schnellste Zeit hingelegt. Nachdem er eine Dopingprobe verweigerte, wurde er nachträglich aus der Ergebnisliste gestrichen. Kopse zählt zu den stärksten Amateurradsportlern in Europa und errang bei der UCI World Cycling Tour den Weltmeistertitel in seiner Altersklasse.

In einem langen Blog-Eintrag auf Strava gibt er die Einnahme eines verbotenen Mittels (Daleron Cold 3 mit Ephedrin) aufgrund einer Erkältung zu und entschuldigt sich für seine "Blödheit" (Auszüge siehe unten). Der Slowenische Radsportverband hat Kopse wegen Verstoß gegen Anti-Doping-Bestimmungen für vier Jahre gesperrt. Das wurde auf der Internetseite der slowenischen Anti-Doping-Agentur SLOADA bekannt gegeben.

Das ist die gekürzte Stellungnahme des Athleten auf Strava im englischen Original:

What happend?

I've refused to give a biological sample at doping control.

Before explaining anything, I had to emphasize the following: I can't mind anybody, in particular for all those I had sincere personal relationship, to look at me with a strong negative feelings from now on. There is no need for any belief. With my performances in last three years its completely natural, that most's first association is; what is he eating, what is he helping with? I am not searching for any excuse or forgiving. And I'm no victim under any condition. Just a naive idiot at best. I am writting this because of a very strong need to talk my self out. Its because of consciense and because of easier living after. And because it matters to me, what image people I am close to, carries with them. Certainly I don't want for somebody I care of, to look at me as a scum, with strong disgracefull feelings. And unfortunately I can't explain entire mess to everybody I care individualy either.

How could this happen? How is it possible that I made such mistake? Damn, one week later I was suppose to attempt masters hour record at Manchester velodrome!

There is no doubt I was not right to start the race at King of the Lake. First because I was on drug that is on prohibited list and as second, because hard racing on the verge of illness one week before major event is a very risky game per-se. [...]

Entire story began in the week before King of the Lake event when something like a light cold starting to catching me. Nothing serious, just a tipical nausea, but certainly something I had to be very carrefull at. Something sauna ussualy corrects instantly. [...] I was too anxious or to afraid of getting ill at that moment, so I started eating Daleron as a preventive measure in the early part of what might evolve into the cold or even a flu later. Daleron is over the counter available drug meant to releive simptoms of common cold or flu and it's in our home pharmacy almost always present. Among pain releiving paracetamol, it contains "in competition" prohibited pseudoefedrin which has strong vasoconstricting effect, causing less nasal mucosa excretion. [...] And then it comes saturday. My morning pulse was 50 instead of 40-43 in previous days.[...] Thats where you step on, put into second gear, taking double Daleron right in the morning and another one midday. Thats also the moment I should clearly recognize the wrong doing of racing that day. But I didn't. Despite being informed about possible doping control on the website of organizer days before event, and even despite I've seen on my own eyes NADA crew walking around before the start, I didn't stop my self. That was my last chance to step of the bike and abandon the race. But the problem was, I simply didn't feel like cheating or doing anything wrong. If I would do anything dirty I would run away like a rabbit at the very first smell of doping control. But I didn't. I didn't because I want it too much to race that trial, to test myself on a hour trial a week before the hour. Until I was asked to do doping control...

...than the information found its way to the brain. Shit, your sample will be positive. Oh dear, you will test positive! You will 100% return a positive test. And thats the start of slow realization what has actualy just happend. Of a realization how serious situation was. And in the following 3 hours you slowly realizes full spectrum of consequences that will follow...Should I pee? If I do, I will be positive, thats for sure. It would mean I would count a doping violation regardles any medical reason, since I wasn't at doctor. I would imediatelly become a doper. It would also mean, even if I could explain the reason for PE presence, they would delete any (possible) result week later. [...]

At the end, after some 4h of hesitation, I decided to end things with refusal. I had to choose between two equaly disastrous options, but I decided to end without any positive test. I rather end with a violation than as a positive. [...] Right after that, I got the next punishment. All that stress, physiological and psychological was naturally too much. The body was pushed over the edge and very next day I was allready down with a tipical flu developing after. Irony, haven't had a flu for probably 4 years up until. Just few minor colds and a food poisoning here and there. But thats marginal. Thats the least. What matters is what hurts much more in it will hurt for quite some time more. [...]

I want to emphacize once again that by no means I feel as a victim here, and I don't search for any excuse nor a pity. I feel now more like dissapointed over my own stupidity and naivness. The rules are clear and the line was visible. It was me, not the system, who crossed that line. And now is time to take my responcibilty.

Der ungekürzte Beitrag steht in seinem Strava-Profil

Die Stellungnahme des Veranstalters

Das Urteil des Slowenischen Radsportverbands auf SLOADA (auf Slowenisch)