Cycle Tour chief launches defamation action against Network over doping coverage
The race director of the Tour Down Under has launched a Supreme Court defamation action against broadcaster SBS over claims he covered up doping in professional cycling.
SBS is being pursued for unspecified damages
Mike Turtur is pursuing SBS for damages, interest and costs.
The court papers list a series of heads of claim in an online report which Turtur says damaged his reputation.
He says the report and the published comments suggest he was “corrupt and rotten to the core, practising or participating in a code of silence about drug cheats in professional cycling, deliberately concealing from the public a positive drug test by a cyclist and bringing shame on Australia's image as a drug free sporting nation.”
In the court papers, Turtur the SBS report and a television broadcast by Cycling Central co-presenter Anthony Tan "greatly injured" his reputation and profession and brought him into public "odium, scandal and contempt".
"Both the website and the program attracted a large audience of visitors and viewers, particularly having a special interest in the sport of cycling," the action states.
SBS denies the allegations and says the story, comments and broadcast are "not capable of being, and are not, defamatory".