Christina Kollmann-Forstner Suspended By the UCI For Links to Doping Ring

May 30, 2019 at 6:34
by Ed Spratt  
photo

The UCI announced on Wednesday, May 29 that Austrian rider Christina Kollmann-Forstner has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect following potential Anti-Doping charges.

Kollmann-Forstner, a former road racer but more recently competing in mountain bike events, came second behind Annika Langvad at last year's UCI MTB Marathon World Championships and has been notified by the UCI of a "potential Anti-Doping Rule violations." The suspension from the UCI came with the help of the Austrian law enforcement authorities and their long term investigation into doping.

Kollmann-Forstner is the latest athlete linked to Operation Aderlass, a police investigation into blood doping. The operation has tracked a blood doping scheme since 2011 and led to the arrest of nine individuals in February of this year. On February 27, 2019, officials raided a doping laboratory and discovered blood bags, blood transfusions, a centrifuge and arrested a German physician who has ties with the former pro road racing team Gerolsteiner.

In the announcement, the UCI stated that Kollmann-Forstner is being suspended under article 7.9.3 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules. This particular article describes "Provisional Suspension based on an Adverse Analytical Finding for Specified Substances, Contaminated Products, or for other Anti-Doping Rule Violations". For any potential anti-doping rule violation under these rules, the UCI can impose a "provisional suspension prior to analysis of the Rider’s B Sample (where applicable) or prior to a final hearing as described in Article 8."

It is important to point out that the UCI has not yet sanctioned Kollmann-Forstner for her offences and it is not know how long the suspension will last for. A rider that is sanctioned by the UCI is given a time frame for their suspension from the sport whereas a rider provisionally suspended "cannot participate in any competition or activity until the adjudication of his or her case on the merits or the lifting of the provisional suspension by the UCI Anti-Doping Commission or the CAS."

bigquotes"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that it has notified the Austrian rider Christina Kollmann-Forstner of potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations (Use of Prohibited Method and Possession of Prohibited Method) based on information received from the law enforcement authorities of Austria in the context of the Operation Aderlass.

After review of all elements in its possession, the UCI has decided to provisionally suspend the rider with immediate effect pursuant to Article 7.9.3 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.

Again, the UCI and the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), the independent body mandated to define and lead the strategy on anti-doping testing and investigations in our sport, will continue to cooperate and assist all parties involved in the Aderlass investigation."— UCI


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125 Comments
  • 178 6
 It's those roadies at it again
  • 118 38
 Rude comment
  • 101 9
 this is a Graves situation for mountain biking
  • 44 1
 Just because I have cheetah blood does not make me a cheetah!
  • 1 0
 Smile
  • 6 1
 She needed a strong-arm for the race !
  • 35 1
 her mechanic issued an apology in a follow-up interview later that day.
  • 2 2
 @RedRedRe: but true
  • 14 1
 @hamncheez: they cranked out a hasty public statement saying how she ingested 3-year old energy bars that were kicking around the pits.
  • 9 0
 @cuban-b: A 3 year old energy bar, that would be fun to watch, hope she has a good dentist.
  • 3 0
 Roadie life
  • 3 0
 @RedRedRe: Boy it sure would be nice if Pinkbike did some journalism and got an update on the Rude/Graves situation.
  • 1 0
 That's a bit Rich
  • 83 1
 Drugs are bad, M'Kay.
  • 51 20
 Not really. Pinkbike commenters love them.
  • 13 3
 @WAKIdesigns: Who doesn't?
  • 6 0
 M'Kay
  • 8 1
 @WAKIdesigns: and you are one of the most prolific.
  • 3 0
 what kind of drugs?
  • 3 8
flag scotttherider FL (May 30, 2019 at 9:11) (Below Threshold)
 Blood doping isn’t drugs. It’s generally your own blood being used...
  • 1 0
 @robdpzero: good ones!
  • 18 0
 @scotttherider: what if your own blood is full of drugs?
  • 9 2
 @WAKIdesigns: Hypocrite of galactic proportions you are!!!
  • 4 0
 She's not accused of taking drugs
  • 9 9
 @wakiisapuddinghead: please explain?
  • 2 1
 Blood doping is a transfusion of your own blood that has been cleaned and oxygenated... not drugs.
  • 2 1
 @mattsavage: Not always. EPO, blood substitutes, other peoples blood... really anything that will result in increasing your bloods oxygen carrying capacity is considered blood doping. the most common for of blood doping involves pharmaceuticals.
  • 3 0
 @scotttherider: false.
  • 1 1
 @scotttherider:

It's always your own blood being used.
  • 1 1
 @WasatchEnduro: False. Homologous transfusions are common place, and help reduce iron losses. although they present their own risks.
  • 1 0
 Tainted steak
  • 48 1
 They’re all on drugs. The ones who get caught are just slippin.
  • 9 0
 ^ this
  • 2 0
 That's complete BS.
  • 1 0
 @jfloren: Keep telling yourself that.
  • 1 0
 @jfloren: you do understand all are dancing the line what’s legal, why do think big money searching for marginal gains filter from road teams to mtb? It’s all about winning just within the rules.
  • 44 8
 Let's have a league in which everything is legal. If winning is so important then let's let the riders push it as far as they can go until they have jammers. We will be entertained by the elite athleticism of it all and the riders can f*ck them selves up for our entertainment. Who remembers Pride fighting? That was a damn entertaining league to follow back in the day, everyone was roided up and massive af.
  • 2 1
 XFL
  • 26 2
 E-bikes are the gateway.
  • 14 1
 @underhawk: NFL...
  • 19 0
 It never ceases to amaze me the bullshit lengths people will go to win. Our local advocacy group puts on a couple races every year, and at each one the guys in charge of the advocacy group are the most guilty when it comes to cheater lines and outright bullshitting their timing. It makes no sense to me. Congrats on the shitty little wood trophy and beating a bunch of rando's just looking to have fun.
  • 2 0
 We can call this the "High Octane Racing League." Lance could finally come back to dominance.
  • 1 0
 @bikerbarrett: MLB, NBA, Global Soccer, Biathlon, Triathlon, Nordic skiing, Curling(a curler was popped at the Olympics..!?!?)
  • 3 0
 What are “jammers”?
  • 6 0
 @Chadimac22: Heart attack, stroke, basically anything that roids can cause.
'BRO! I was smashing up that hill until I had a jammer! Next thing I knew I was in the ICU with tubes and shit coming out of me! Did I win?'
  • 1 0
 @bikerbarrett: educate yourself
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/XFL
  • 1 0
 @Tmackstab: Hahahaha!!! Thanks man. Now I know...
  • 6 0
 @Swangarten: I had a gf that doped, but it didn't improve her sweeping at all.
  • 1 0
 @Chadimac22: Lol no worries!
  • 9 0
 @Rucker10: haha totally... in our local grassroots enduro racing series there's a couple guys that enter the Intermediate cat (Elite, Expert, Intermediate, Beginner & Youth cats) and are always battling over the top spot in the races. Their times are always a couple minutes ahead of the other "Intermediates" and would put them within the top 10 of the expert cat... but they don't move because if they did they wouldn't be on the podium anymore... of a local grassroots fun race that means nothing... haha, dorks.

And no, it's not because I care about my finishing position... whether I'm 40th or 38th does not make a difference to me. Half the time I don't even look at where I've finished... it's just good times and great trails! These dudes need to get a life.
  • 6 0
 @islandforlife: Unless you’re winning a pro class or Cat 1 I don’t really understand how folks get so bent about getting (or not getting) on a podium. It makes no sense. Hey great you’re the fastest slow person? I dunno.
  • 4 0
 @Rucker10: some people have no shame when it comes to satisfying their egos. Just know that for every tough guy out there, there’s always one thing that will make them cry. Just find out what that is and their entire psyche goes out of whack.
  • 2 0
 @cuban-b: Dude that's so true. Was at a race at Dry Hill a couple years ago and I remember a couple B list Canadian pro's showed up. If I remember right one was Nick Beer I think. Anyways, they absolutely destroyed the local talent and they were hot. Was fun for the rest of us to watch though.
  • 3 0
 Um, we have that already. Do you seriously think the top level Road, XC, Enduro bike racing is clean?
  • 1 1
 @bikerbarrett: Drugs are still not "legal" in the NFL. Everything should be legal, except fair catches. The XFL gets it. Rules are for followers! #2020
  • 4 0
 @Tmackstab ....Pride fighting?

Is that related to Drag racing
  • 1 0
 @taprider: it's what happens when you're rude about a guy's handbag at Gay Pride
  • 16 0
 Of all the ways of cheating, blood doping would have to be the ickyest.
  • 2 0
 @scotttherider: so gross... especially when someone mixes up the rows in a spreadsheat and you lose track of whose blood is whose cause the codewords don't match the blood bags anymore...
  • 1 0
 @mattsavage: I'm envisioning ol mate 'bloodbag' strapped to the front of a Mad Max Fury Road vehicle....lol
  • 15 3
 Ridiculous. I know it's rampant but wtf is wrong with these athletes? Ride as you are naturally. Good luck with that one I know but still. Watch the documentary Icarus and see how bad it can be in the highest levels.
  • 9 1
 Icarus taught us that PED's can be completely safe and there are really no risks, lol.
  • 3 0
 @smgishot13: It's funny because some people's takeaway was that he took all those PEDs and didn't improve in the race. My takeaway was that he improved his functional threshold power output by ~20% while staying happy and healthy.
  • 6 0
 Sponsorship money, my guy. The difference between making a living in your chosen sport and being another normie.
  • 3 0
 @harriieee: Exactly. It's these guys jobs, if someone told you that they had a pill that would make you a much better worker with higher earning potential and low risk would you turn it down or be concerned not all your coworkers get to take it too?
  • 1 0
 So if you don't take drugs there is a chance you can't pay the bills but if you take the drugs you can pay the bills and nothing bad will happen to. Why would you not take the drugs
  • 14 2
 People on these comments seem much quicker to condemn in this case compared to when a few EWS favourites who need not be named got popped.
  • 4 1
 @scotttherider: cause a woman and a former roadie... :/
  • 1 0
 Screw those cheaters too.
  • 11 3
 Lifetime ban if convicted. Send the message to everyone.
  • 8 9
 How is a poxy ban going to work when death sentences still don’t dissuade people from murder?
  • 10 2
 @timbud: So just discard all laws by that logic then. Nice one.
  • 1 5
flag timbud (May 30, 2019 at 8:38) (Below Threshold)
 @SupraKZ: lol that comment reveals more about your morals than mine.

If people think they can get away with something they’re more likely to give it a go. I don’t do drugs and don’t murder, soy conscience is clear Big Grin
  • 6 1
 @timbud: Not related to my views on the death sentence... buuuut just a as matter of logic- pretty sure the death sentence stops those murderers from murdering again...unless you believe in ghosts...and I don't...So to carry it forward, it may not dissuade others from filling the doped up winning void but it would stop the offender from influencing those around them, modelling behaviors in the public competitive eye, or cheating in international sport themselves.
  • 4 1
 @timbud: Can't murder again if you're dead. Can't cheat again if you're banned.
  • 4 0
 I think you underestimate how badly people want these wins. ie. They're wiling to risk that, if that what it takes.
  • 1 0
 @pcledrew: exactly
  • 2 1
 @chriskneeland: yes but that didn’t stop them the first time did it!
  • 2 1
 @timbud: How many people does it stop? If murder was made legal tomorrow, you think noone would take the opportunity? You're delusional.
  • 3 0
 @chriskneeland: thats exactly my point!!
How many people does a potential ban stop from doping
  • 2 3
 @timbud: Ummmm, pretty much all of them.
  • 12 4
 Just ask for Froome lawyers and you’ll be fine.
  • 6 0
 We should just add bike weight to anyone who's had a doping offense. Should counter-act the effects right? I'm sure racing would be a lot less fun on a 40lb xc bike.
  • 5 0
 That would be awesome actually... have a bunch of doped up roid-ragers riding huge pigs against all the lighweight skinnies.
  • 5 0
 In the meantime, UCI is taking its sweet time with the EWS guys, what does take some much time. They have results and the suspects confession!!! It makes it looks really shady and not really legit..
  • 11 6
 The word "potential" bothers me. I guess the UCI isn't familiar with the term "innocent until proven guilty"
  • 5 0
 Go Austria Go! At least she didn't get filmed secretly having some Vodka-Red Bull ...
  • 2 0
 I can see how an elite athlete that is starting to slip behind the new competition may turn to doping to keep their career going. If they know no way of life other than training and racing, the best that can happen is that they continue winning and get away with it. Worst that can happen is they get caught and don't race anymore -- which they wouldn't have been doing very much longer anyway without doping. Sad and wrong, but understandable.
  • 3 0
 I'm all for regulating this stuff within the confines of the UCI, but it seems like law enforcement dollars could be put to better use in other areas.
  • 1 0
 Mark Rippetoe has a podcast about juicing. Yes in the strictest sense this isn’t that but
close enough. He’s talking more about NFL but the gist is for anyone wanting to reach elite level
of any sport it’s more the risk of not taking them against the risk of being caught.
  • 7 3
 This is bike news. A retired DH racer's DUI? not so much...
  • 5 0
 All pro racers dope.
  • 3 0
 I think most PBers are not interested in PEDs. They are more interested in PDDs (Performance Diminishing Drugs).
  • 2 0
 All about money...the only way to stop doping is a lifetime ban when caught. Most of these pros would be bagging groceries. Huge deterrent.
  • 5 1
 Well...WADA you know...
  • 3 0
 Crazy what people will do to win.
  • 15 1
 Shit, I dope for everyday life.
  • 3 0
 @usedbikestuff: We all do. Just most are ignorant to their own crutches.
  • 3 1
 As doctors prescribe opioids at outlandish levels. This world has damn lost it's mind!
  • 1 0
 Only in the US, the rest of the world eats Smarties instead
  • 3 1
 John Hall will be delivering a public apology at a press conference later this evening.
  • 4 0
 EWS is next, stay tuned!
  • 2 1
 Links to doping ring? Seriously? If you know any high performace road cyclust then by definition you have links to a doping ring.
  • 1 0
 Here we go! If some racers seem a little too fast this year I think we're about to find out why as this story blows up.
  • 1 1
 I say whatever. Cyclist are the most controlled.

Why dont' they go check for dopers in NBA, NFL, etc. whathever english and spanish soccer teams?
  • 10 11
 I’m always surprised when a hear that a cyclist got suspended.... at that level they are all guilty of doping in one way or another. That’s the nature of racing.
  • 4 3
 Whoooooo cares. Jail time for this is ridiculous for some doctor.
  • 3 1
 Another Austrian!
  • 1 0
 "Should I have not done that? But it's perfectly fine in road racing?!"
  • 2 0
 Man I love DH!!!
  • 2 0
 EPO for the win!
  • 1 0
 Aren't they all on the juice?
  • 1 0
 it's just the low-level people doping everyone, nothing to see here!
  • 1 0
 Is Viagra on the banned list? Asking for a friend...
  • 1 0
 The awards were just reallocated: www.instagram.com/p/CGIfuupDh9b
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