Austrian cyclist Christoph Kerschbaum released from custody in doping case

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Austrian cyclist Kerschbaum released from custody in doping case
The Canadian Press
Austrian cyclist Christoph Kerschbaum was released from custody Tuesday, 11 days after being arrested for allegedly supplying doping substances to other riders.

Prosecutors said the 32-year-old rider was still a suspect in the case, which also involves former biathlon coach Walter Mayer and an unidentified pharmacist from Vienna. The two were arrested Sunday and remain in custody.

The pharmacist allegedly provided Kerschbaum and Mayer with the performance-enhancing substance EPO and other banned drugs over an extended period of time. [...]

Kerschbaum was the first Austrian athlete to be arrested under the country's toughened anti-doping laws, which took effect in August 2008 and call for prison terms of up to five years for drug cheats.

Kerschbaum has not made a mark in international cycling. In Austria, he won the 2007 road championships of the Upper Austria province and the 2008 Top Rad Liga.

Austria sharpened its laws to make it a criminal offense to possess banned substances. Manipulating blood or genetic material also became a crime, with harsher penalties for those who help athletes dope.
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