Career
His career came to an abrupt end when he retired from pro cycling after a positive doping test in July 2004 for erythropoietin, leading into the Athens Olympics. After confessing to the use, "I made the stupidest of mistakes", in 2005 he was sued in Swiss court in order to name his supplier, which he refused to do fearing retribution. Ceramica Panaria-Vinavil (1996)
Mapei-Great Britain (1997)
Mapei-Bricobi (1998)
Lampre-Daikin (1999–2001)
Phonak Hearing Systems (2002–2004).