Patrik Sinkewitz positive for human growth hormone

7 comments
By Cyclingnews.com | Friday, Mar 18, 2011 12.52pm

Patrik Sinkewitz (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) has been provisionally suspended after returning an adverse analytical finding for Recombinant Human Growth Hormone at the GP di Lugano on February 27.

The German is the first cyclist to be suspended after providing a blood sample positive for HGH. UCI press officer Enrico Carpani explained that the validated test for human growth hormone had not been publicised as the UCI wanted to retain an element of surprise in its testing.

“The UCI has always said human growth hormones were being tested but we didn't want to officially announce the date of scientific validation of the test in order to allow an element of surprise,” Carpani said. “Without making a pronouncement about Patrik Sinkewitz's case, who still can ask for a B sample analysis, we can say that the validation of the human growth hormone test is a major new step in the fight against doping."

Sinkewitz is provisionally suspended until a hearing panel is convened by the German Cycling Federation, and he has the right to request that his B sample be analysed.

Sinkewitz tested positive for testosterone during the 2007 Tour de France while riding for T-Mobile, and he subsequently confessed to having undergone blood doping while riding for the team.

He served a one-year suspension and returned to competitive action with the PSK Whirlpool team in 2009, before joining his current squad last season.

Related articles

Related links

BikeRadar is not responsible for the content of external websites

The Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli team has moved to distance itself from Sinkewitz and said that the German rider will be fired if the positive test is confirmed.

“The team, which has always followed a strict line in he fight against doping […] will await the counter-analysis before deciding, and is ready to fire the rider on the spot if the positive test is confirmed,” read a statement from the Italian squad read.

“Moreover, the team underlines the necessity (and launches an explicit invitation to the UCI) to provide for more severe and forceful penalties, above all for doping cases stemming from the use of ‘heavy’ substances, such as this one.”

This article originally appeared on Cyclingnews.com.

You can follow BikeRadar on Twitter at twitter.com/bikeradar and on Facebook at facebook.com/BikeRadar.

You might also like...

User Comments

There are 7 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 comments

  • What a knob ... if it's true.

  • I agree, total knob.

  • Once a cheat always a cheat!

    Why are they allowed them back into racing, once caught it should be a lifetime ban!

    Just what we need - more bad press about druggy bikers:0(

  • What really p**ses me off is the fact that so many re-offend. When are the UCI and Cyclist Union going to admit that the current penalties are simply not enough of a deterrent. Cyclists always moan that we have more testing in cycling than any other sport, hence the number of positives, but if the UCI approached it in a different way, ie made the penalty so severe (lifetime ban) that we would see the number of positives reduce and then they may be in a position where they can relax the testing as a consequence.

    What would be really interesting is if you added up the number of positive tests in the last few years and identified how many of those were NOT first time failures. Having a single failure resulting in a lifetime ban would, by definition, reduce the overall number of positive tests as it immediately eliminates the repeat offenders!

    We can now add Sinkewitz to a long and growing list including Di Luca, Hamilton and (ahem) The Cobra!!!

  • Can only agree with all the above BUT nothing will change until we the fans start switching off and not turning up at the events the authorities organise. Hit them in their profits it's worse than a kick in the bo****cks although they deserve that too.

  • GF22 - Excellent words I'd say!

    I am totally p*****d off watching the latest result only to think "I wonder!" There needs to be a real, clear deterrent which is invoked following any positive result, irrespective of which country the person belongs to or what team they happen to be cycling for at that time. It seems that science is playing its part in doping and fuelling erring cyclists to try new ways of cheating!

    Now to be totally contencious why is Tom Simpson a British legend? - didn't he dope with what was available at that time; bye bye David Millar and your time trialling ability; cheerio AC and the like.

    Waken up and smell the coffee before you wreck this sport!

  • Lesdon499- agree re: Simpson with the caveat that I kind of assume all riders up to about 2005 were routinely doing something and some are now perhaps clean. Tests in 60s 70s and 80s were a joke. As reported to Jeff Connor- 95% of the teams are doing it. Add the team of the directeur making the comment as well, gets to pretty much 100%

Post a Comment:

You need to login or register to post comments.