Astana rider says that he will sue over reports of cocaine use
Following Wednesday’s news that Valentin Iglinskiy was stopped for speeding by French police and found to be over the drink driving limit, the Astana team has announced that blood tests carried out have shown that the rider didn’t consume cocaine.
Astana stated that the tests were conducted by an expert in toxicology, commissioned by the National Gendarmerie “Peloton Autoroute de Nice”: it said that he tested negative for all forms of drugs.
RTL.fr had initially reported that the rider had tested positive for the substance, although this was contradicted the same day by Eurosport.
RTL also stated that he had told police that he had spent the evening in the home of Alexandre Vinokourov, something which was rejected yesterday by the team. Iglinskiy also said this wasn’t true during his hearing yesterday at 2pm at the High Court of Nice, speaking through an interpreter.
The team gave details of what happened during that hearing. “Under oath, he was able to explain how he spent the evening before his speeding, the 26/07/2011,” it said. “He stated, ‘I had a dinner in Nice in the city center. I was all alone.’ Then the police officer asked him “When you’ve been stopped, do you have verbally told the police that you had spent the evening at a friend?” and Valentin answered, “I never said that, I don’t master the language enough to explain all this. I just made it clear to a policeman that Vinokourov was a friend whom I saw regularly. I never said that I was with him as wrote several newspapers and websites.”
Iglinskiy added that he was angry about the suggestions that he had taken alcohol and cocaine at the house of the team leader, and said that he intends to take legal action for defamation.
“I am a professional cyclist of the Astana team, and now it says that Vinokourov and me, we have a life of depravity,” he stated. “I want to say that we are healthy people. Now, our friends and our families suspect us not to be serious and have a life of debauchery.”
He repeated his public apology for speeding and being over the drink-drive limit.
Iglinskiy has been with the Astana team since 2010. Last year he won the overall plus a stage in the Tour de Hainan; this season, he was first on stage two of the Tour de Turkey.