Photo by Tim BigarelliPatrik Sinkowitz signed the UCI charter that states that he is not involved in any sort of doping, and that he would have to pay back a year of his salary if he was caught and was given a 2 year ban from competition.
His “A” sample and has come back from the beginning of June has tested positive for 6 times the allowed amount of testosterone. He claims that he is still clean, and that he is not going to worry about any charges against him until he is out of surgery. The surgery is necessary to correct some problems with his arm and face after crashing into a spectator during the Tour de France and being forced to leave the race.
[Linus] Gerdemann, [Sinkewitz’s teammate,] considered one of Germany’s top cycling hopes along with Sinkewitz, said the case showed that the controls were getting better. “I think the possibility to dope is getting smaller and smaller,” Gerdemann said. “It’s a good sign that the system is starting to work … the guys that try to dope, they have no chance any more.”
I hope that Gerdemann is right, and that bicycling has finally found a way to really clean things up. I am not holding out any sort of hope, however. It is nice to find out about a positive sample through official channels for a change, though, rather than having a high profile positive test leaked to the media weeks before the rider is even told about it.
I hope that Sinkewitz’s “B” sample comes back negative and that he is cleared of the charges. I would rather see somebody clean than cheating. If it does come back positive, then I hope that he has a lot of money saved for a rainy day because he will be about to take a huge hit on his net worth when he pays back last year’s salary.
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