German John Degenkolb, who won this season Paris-Roubaix and Milano-Sanremo, said that the doping is always currently present in the sports. The Giant-Alpecin rider insisted that he was totally clean and made a zero tolerance pact with team-mate and top sprinter Marcel Kittel.

"We should not expect to see cycling liberated forever from these cheats. And the same goes for other sports too. Sport 100 per cent without doping is an illusion." The 26 year-old rider added according to Agence France Presse: "Anyone who does not believe us should come and observe us training to be convinced of our honesty."

Degenkolb explained also that international authorities have to act swiftly and severely to eliminate cheats. He takes for example the Astana case. "In the Astana case things have been going on too long and the federation needs to act more swiftly and decisively."