BERN, Switzerland -- Former professional cyclist Danilo Hondo was banned for blood doping revealed in an Austrian-led investigation and got a reduced sanction for his confession and cooperation.
Hondo was banned by a sports tribunal in Switzerland where the German was registered as a rider and worked coaching young riders when he was implicated in the Operation Aderlass case that revealed a blood doping ring.
The 48-year-old Hondo was banned from working in sports for 2 + years - backdated to September 2019 and which has now expired - with a further 5 + years suspended because of his “confession and broad cooperation,” the Swiss Olympic committee said.
Hondo competed at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 for the German pursuit team on the track. In a long road career he won two stages at the 2001 Giro d’Italia, where he was runner-up in the points classification.
He previously served a ban after being caught doping in 2005.
Hondo was a coach with the Swiss cycling federation in 2019 when Austrian investigators revealed a doping ring including blood transfusions linked to a doctor in Germany.
He admitted in an interview with German broadcaster ARD to doping from 2011 near the end of his career.
The Swiss tribunal ordered Hondo to pay 12,500 Swiss francs ($12,500) compensation plus legal costs toward his disciplinary investigation.
