COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Bjarne Riis became the first Tour de France winner to admit using performance-enhancing drugs to win the sport's premier race, further eroding cycling's credibility after a series of doping confessions.His admission Friday means the top three finishers in the 1996 Tour have all been linked to doping -- and two have admitted cheating.
The retired Dane said he used the blood-booster EPO from 1993 to 1998, including during his 1996 Tour victory, confirming years of speculation that he benefited from banned substances. He also admitted taking cortisone and human growth hormone, but didn't say when.