December 23, 2012 – American cyclist Levi Leipheimer has accused the Netherlands-based team formerly known as Rabobank (now Blanco Pro Cycling Team) of team doping in sworn testimony related to the Armstrong Affair reports the Belgian daily Le Soir citing the Dutch paper NRC Handelsblad.

In U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) documentation that forms part of its “reasoned decision” against Lance Armstrong, former Armstrong team mate Leipheimer describes what he alleges was team doping at Rabobank while he raced there from 2002–2004.

These reports name Rabobank riders Michael Boogerd, Thomas Dekker, Denis Menchov and Michael Rasmussen as receiving blood transfusions and being clients of Austrian doctor Stefan Matschiner who was implicated in the 2007-2009 Humanplasma scandal. Boogerd, contacted yesterday, admits to making payments to Matschiner in 2009, but insists that these were, “for vitamins.”

Also named is former Rabobank team doctor Geert Leinders who was let go from a similar position at Team Sky in October. Leinders worked for Sky on a freelance basis from 2010-2012 but was let go because of his alleged links to doping at Rabobank. Leipheimer alleges that the Belgian doctor “organized doping at Rabobank” and further alleges to have bought EPO from Leinders. Contacted by media since these reports became public, Leinders denies, as team doctor, having ever used banned substances or methods.

Le Soir (in French) HERE.