Team Sky backs Knaven after doping allegations

eam Sky has given its backing to sporting director Servais Knaven after allegations of past doping. (Peter Dejong/AP)

LONDON — Team Sky has given its backing to sporting director Servais Knaven after allegations of past doping against the Dutchman were published in a British newspaper.

The Mail on Sunday says it has been granted access to French court documents from 2001, in which an expert toxicologist testified that Knaven took EPO while riding for Dutch team TVM in the 1998 Tour de France.

According to the newspaper, the documents also say that other drugs and steroids, which were not on the banned list at the time, were found in Knaven’s system. Knaven and some teammates were questioned by police but were never on trial.

Team Sky, which runs a zero-tolerance policy on doping, says in a statement it handed information about the case to three independent anti-doping experts and their view was that “there is no proof of doping.”

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