Even though Van den Driessche still insists the bike belonged to a friend of hers, she is aware of the fact that it was found in her pits and that is an offence, which is unpardonable by the rules. Combined with the fact that UCI and a lot of cycling personalities are pressing for the toughest sentence possible, the Belgian decided to throw in the towel.
“After consulting with my lawyers and my family, I have decided to discontinue my defence at the hearing in Aigle. I have decided for myself to stop cyclo-cross. The costs of the meeting in Switzerland would be too high for me. Acquittal is impossible, the bike was in my pit zone. I thank all the people who supported me and still support – my lawyers, friends and supporters. I want to continue my life in peace and serenity and hope that everyone will have some understanding for this and will respect this,” wrote Van den Driessche in the report published by Het Nieuwsblad.
Read more about mechanical doping HERE.
