January 23, 2007 – Last Friday’s judgment by a French correctional tribunal in Nanterre against current and former members of the Cofidis team for doping infractions showed surprising leniency, according to the French website, Liberation. Team members and former members admitted to the use of amphetamines, hormones, and/or anabolic steroids between 2001 and 2004.

Former team members David Millar of Scotland and Italian Massimiliano Lelli were acquitted because the prosecution was unable to establish that the doping infractions had occurred on French soil. The team’s former soigneur, Boguslaw Madejak, was sentenced to one year in prison, including a nine-month conditional sentence. However, Madejak has already spent two-and-a-half months in prison on a provisional basis, meaning that he will not return there.

Cyclists Philippe Gaumont, Robert Sassone, Marek Rutkiewicz, and Daniel Majewski were sentenced to conditional sentences of six months each, whereas cyclist M̩d̩ric Clain and Oleg Kozlitine Рa former third division coach Рboth received conditional sentences of three months.

The most severe sentence was reserved for the pharmacist, Pierre Ben Yamin, who received a six-month conditional sentence and will have to pay a total of three thousand Euros ($4,564 CDN) in fines, according to the French website, Equipe.

Magistrates contended that the team’s sponsor, the insurance company Cofidis, was unable to demonstrate any financial damage resulting from the doping scandal. They also contended that the company may have encouraged the doping by recruiting cyclists on short-term contracts and paying hefty bonuses when the cyclists won. Cofidis was also berated for doing nothing to fight the doping that was known to be a widespread practice.