The patient in the bed next to me told me that the newspapers were reporting on the test, and it was on television all day long.

Of course they were saying: No doping! But as a rider, it's difficult to believe that things can really change from one day to the next.

Riders called me up afterwards to say that they had had no other choice. I couldn't understand the way they changed their tune.

I can count off on one hand the number of times I've used testosterone gel - because it doesn't really do much.

I spent my first two years as a professional with Mapei in Italy, on their youth team. We rode in minor races. Doping wasn't an issue. S

Ampoules containing cortisone, testosterone gel residues, syringes and needles, a centrifuge for measuring my blood values.But, contrary to the erroneous reports in the press, they didn't find any EPO or growth hormone.

I rubbed the contents of one bag onto my upper arm on the evening of June 7, just before I went to bed. I thought: Well, it can't hurt. I flushed the packaging down the toilet.