Hard to believe. More than two years ago, Helen Grobert - then 26 years old and riding for the Cannondale Factory Racing team - was at the peak of her career as a professional mountain biker: Grobert finished fourth at the World Cup opener in South Africa on 10 March 2018 - her best World Cup result to date. However, the new hope for the German mountain bike sport soon turned out to be a problem child. Eight days later, she disappeared from the radar with the words "Last ride done" and an Instagram photo. Radio silence. On 12 June 2018, the German champion said goodbye to the public. Health problems were the reason, it was said at the time.
A potential doping case had already been mooted as the reason for the sudden withdrawal. But that was just speculation without any basis in fact. Comments from sponsors, family or Grobert himself - to no avail. But over time, the evidence came to a head. BIKE reported on 2 August 2018 that the BDR had confirmed a German doping case among mountain bikers. We later received confirmation from NADA and the Freiburg public prosecutor's office that it was "there is a positive doping sample from a BDR MTB athlete". Today, on 8 April 2020, the NADA now finally passes judgement of four-year ban for testosterone known. And also publishes Grobert's name for the first time, which was never previously confirmed by the BDR, NADA or the public prosecutor's office. The urine sample from 15 November 2017 contained traces of the banned substance testosterone.
Doping ban until March 2022
With the arbitration award of 31 March 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport follows the request of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) to ban Helen Grobert for four years. The ban was imposed retroactively to 24 March 2018 and applies until 23 March 2022. As a result of the ruling, all competition results from the day of the positive doping test on 15 November 2017 until 24 March 2018 were annulled - including the fourth place at the World Cup in Stellenbosch. However, the judgement is not yet legally binding. The final instance is the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
What happens next?
The question remains as to what will become of the investigations by the Freiburg public prosecutor's office. The In March 2019, the German public prosecutor's office specialising in the prosecution of doping offences confirmed the following to BIKE"It is also suspected that the athlete had multiple infusions administered to her during medical treatments abroad between 2016 and 2018. Finally, according to the findings to date, it is suspected that she used prohibited doping methods (ozone therapies)." Our last information on this was that the criminal proceedings have been suspended indefinitely as the accused is currently not fit to stand trial.
