Luxembourg cyclist Frank Schleck was cleared of involvement in a Spanish scandal on Tuesday.
The Grand Duchy's anti-doping authorities said that after a two-month probe nothing illegal could be established beyond the fact that Schleck had transferred some money to a Swiss bank account of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the man at the heart of a major cycling doping scandal.
Schleck, who finished sixth at the Tour de France and led the race for three days, told Luxembourg Anti-Doping agency that two months ago that he transferred money to the Swiss account.
The agency said that beyond the payment, there was no available information, including from the International Cycling Union, to link Schleck with Fuentes and doping activities.
Schleck's team, CSC Saxo Bank, had acknowledged that the rider told them he transferred almost 9,500 dollars to an account held by Fuentes in March 2006 "to receive training advice by experts who presumably worked with some of the biggest names in the sport."
Over 50 cyclists, including 2006 Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso and 1997 Tour champion Jan Ullrich, were reportedly linked to the scandal.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2008)
