Cyclist admits to doping

COURTRAI – Belgium’s former world champion cyclist Johan Museeuw on Tuesday admitted to taking drugs in the final months of his career.

“In my last year of racing, I made an error, I didn’t race faithfully,” Museeuw said in a press conference, the first time the 1996 world road race champion has admitted taking drugs. “I wanted to finish my career in style, which pushed me to not play the game honestly.”His remarks come after hearing last week that he and others cyclists implicated in a doping scandal will face trial here.Museeuw stands accused of possessing the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoeitin) and two other illegal performance enhancers.He was suspected of being part of a ring of drug traffickers including a veterinary surgeon and three-time world cyclo-cross champion Mario De Clercq and eight other riders and go-betweens.Nampa-AFP”I wanted to finish my career in style, which pushed me to not play the game honestly.”His remarks come after hearing last week that he and others cyclists implicated in a doping scandal will face trial here.Museeuw stands accused of possessing the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoeitin) and two other illegal performance enhancers.He was suspected of being part of a ring of drug traffickers including a veterinary surgeon and three-time world cyclo-cross champion Mario De Clercq and eight other riders and go-betweens.Nampa-AFP