Ex-pro Danilo Hondo fired after blood doping confession
Ex-pro Danilo Hondo has been sacked from his position as an elite national coach by the Swiss Cycling Federation after confessing his involvement in the Erfurt blood doping scandal.
In a press release, the federation said that they have dismissed the 45-year-old without notice after he confessed to German broadcaster ARD about his blood doping in 2011. Hondo is the latest cyclist to be caught up in the Erfurt scandal, after Georg Preidler and Stefan Denifl.
"We decided to give Danilo a second chance," said Thomas Peter, Technical Director of Swiss Cycling. "We were convinced of his qualities as a coach and we are still today. We are deeply disappointed and have to digest this message first."
Hondo, who worked as an under-23 coach at Swiss Cycling from January 2015, and as an elite coach there since September 2016, told ARD, "I informed the cycling federation on Sunday morning. Everyone was shocked.
"I have to say – and this has been on my mind all night – I had this moment of weakness. I made the biggest mistake of my life and agreed to this thing.”
This news is the latest revelation in the Erfurt scandal, which saw German doctor Mark Schmidt run a doping ring from the city. Schmidt was arrested in raids at the Nordic Ski World Championships in Seefeld, Austria in February, and in the days afterwards, both Preidler and Denifl confessed their involvement.
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