French cyclist Sicot receives suspended prison sentence for doping use, despite abuse case with team manager

You know the story: as a child, you dream of becoming a top athlete, but the road to success isn’t for everyone. This was the case for Marion Sicot. The 34-year-old Frenchwoman dreamed of being one of the best cyclists in the world but was twice suspended during her career for doping use. As a result, the Montargis court sentenced her to a suspended prison term of ten months and a fine of 5,000 euros, according to L’Équipe.

Sicot previously admitted in court that she used EPO and clenbuterol during her career. During that time, she rode for teams including the Italian squad Servetto Footon and spent two seasons with the Belgian Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport team. In 2019, the French cyclist tested positive for doping for the first time, initially pleading innocence. Later, she confessed to ordering the popular doping agent EPO online.

Mitigating circumstances for Sicot

Sicot described her time with the Belgian team as particularly challenging. "I was trapped in my bubble. Cycling was my whole life. I wanted to try to keep up with the best. I told myself that others might be doing it, so I tried it too." Her struggles were compounded by her team manager, Marc Bracke, who made her time even more difficult. "He forced me to send him photos of myself in my underwear every Monday, under the pretext of monitoring my weight."

Because of the Frenchwoman's accusations against her team manager, her doping suspension was reduced from four years to two years. The French anti-doping agency took her unusual circumstances into account. However, the complaint against Bracke was dismissed in 2022, though the UCI barred him from holding any official roles. Later that year, in October, Bracke committed suicide.

Read more below the photo.

Marion Sicot

Previous doping use revealed

But as it turned out, Sicot had already used doping earlier in her career, during her time with the Italian team Servetto Footon. Struggling during that period, she turned to doping to improve her performance. "It’s very easy to get and use doping. Either you know someone, or you go online. It only cost 500 or 600 euros," Sicot said about her use of EPO during her time with the Italian team. However, despite her usage, she noticed little benefit. "During races and training, I didn’t even feel the advantages."

In addition to Sicot’s case, two others were convicted. A former friend who facilitated her access to EPO was given a suspended ten-month prison sentence and fined 10,000 euros. The doctor who prescribed the EPO was also sentenced to a suspended ten-month prison term and fined 20,000 euros. In addition to this, the doctor has been banned from practicing medicine for six months.

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