Ineos Grenadiers' David Rozman leaves Tour de France amid doping investigation

Ineos Grenadiers’ head soigneur David Rozman has left the Tour de France after the International Testing Agency launched an investigation into messages he allegedly exchanged in 2012 with convicted German doping doctor Mark Schmidt. 

The allegations come from a documentary made by German public service broadcaster ARD in June. Rozman, who has been with the team since 2011, is said to have invited Schmidt to the Team Sky hotel during the 2012 Tour de France.

The documentary also alleged that Rozman sent a text message to Schmidt asking if he “still have [sic] any of the stuff Milram used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?”. Milram was a professional cycling team from 2006 to 2010. Its rider Alessandro Petacchi was found guilty of using the banned substance salbutamol in 2007. 

In 2021, Schmidt was handed a four years and 10 months prison sentence as part of the Operation Aderlass doping case, which found that he ran a blood doping ring involving 23 athletes from eight countries. 

In a statement issued to the Guardian, Ineos said Rozman spoke to the ITA in April and was told he was not under investigation. However, Ineos added that: “Following recent media allegations, David Rozman has now received a request from the ITA to attend an interview. Accordingly, he has stepped back from race duties and has left the Tour.”

The statement said: “David Rozman was informally contacted in April 2025 by a member of ITA staff, who asked him about alleged historical communications. 

“David immediately notified the team of his meeting with the ITA and his recollection of the contents of the meeting. Although the ITA assured David at the time that he was not under investigation, INEOS promptly commissioned a thorough review by an external law firm.

“The team has acted responsibly and with due process, taking the allegations seriously whilst acknowledging that David is a long-standing, dedicated member of the team. The team continues to assess the circumstances and any relevant developments, and has formally requested any relevant information from the ITA.

“To date the team has received no evidence from any relevant authority. In response to the team’s request for information, the ITA has advised the team that it cannot share any further information, due to legal and confidentiality restrictions. Both David and the team will of course co-operate with the ITA and any other authority. The team reiterates its zero-tolerance policy and is unable to comment further at this time.”

In a press conference at the Tour de France on Saturday 19 June, Ineos Grenadiers rider Thymen Arensman said it was “weird” that the team’s management was refusing to answer questions on the reports in ARD’s documentary. 

The documentary claimed that as many as 14 figures alleged to have been involved in Operation Aderlass are still working in professional cycling. 

The medical consultant Geert Leinders, who worked with Team Sky in 2021, was subsequently banned for life for doping violations between 1996 and 2009 while at a previous team. 

Ex-British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman was struck off in 2021 and banned for four years in 2023 for possession of prohibited substances and tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control.