“It is a situation that is absolutely not satisfying for anyone who reads about it, who knows about it,” he told CyclingTips. “I think the problem is that people now think that there is doping use again relating to cycling, especially in a team which has the Tour de France winner."

 

“For me the only solution for it is to first of all to have more doping controls again, to be really sure that everyone is tested enough.”

 

“Cycling is already by far the most tested sport of all and we´ll also find the cheats with enough controls. But in my opinion it should be no problem to increase the amount of tests even more. Especially when we come closer to the highlights of each season.”

 

Many people have criticised the UCI over the way they have dealt with cases such as the Astana and Neri Sottoli ones. But Kittel has urged the public to have faith in president Brian Cookson.

 

“I hope that that everyone puts new trust into the UCI, and especially in Brian Cookson,” he said. “They were in a situation now where they could only react according to their rules. Their rules stated that they had to give them [Astana] a licence, otherwise they maybe would lose in CAS, as it was with Katusha."

 

Last year, Germany intoroduced prison sentences for all athletes found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. The initiative was backed by many of Germany's cycling stars, such as Kittel, teammate John Degenkolb, Tony Martin and Andre Greipel.

 

“[With the laws] you can try to chase riders or doctors that maybe have something to do with doping,” he said. “Then if you find something, you put them in prison or whatever, or kick them out of the sport. I think that is the way that we should go."

 

“In the end, it is about protecting the clean athletes. That is the main goal that we have in sport, not only in cycling.”

 

While some have argued prison sentences are extreme, Kittel says they have committed a crime and must be punished.

 

“It is not only about doping, it is about money laundering, tax fraud, drug trafficking. All that is crime and if you are involved in it, I think it is absolutely normal to get a prison sentence in the end. There should be no questions raised around it.”

 

However, he doesn't want people to suspect every single rider and says they can have faith in the majority of riders in the peloton.

 

“Implementing more tools that we have to control the athlete also starts to happen [in that scenario]. It seems that we do not trust athletes any more…that’s how it maybe feels sometimes. That should also not be the direction that we go.”