Disgraced French doper Erwann Mentheour arrested over suspected sexual assaults on daughter aged 9 to 13
CyclingFriday, 31 July 2026 at 12:00
Former French professional cyclist and confessed doper Erwann Mentheour has reportedly been arrested over allegations that he sexually assaulted his daughter when she was aged between 9 and 13.
According to information published by Le Parisien, Mentheour was detained at his home in the 17th arrondissement of Paris on Tuesday morning before being taken into police custody by officers from the Juvenile Protection Brigade.
The 53-year-old is being questioned as part of a preliminary investigation concerning suspected sexual assault of a child under the age of 15. The investigation also reportedly concerns the direct encouragement of a child under 15 to use illegal drugs and consume alcohol.
No conviction has been secured and the allegations against Mentheour have not been proven in court. He remains entitled to the presumption of innocence while the investigation continues.
Allegations concern period between 2017 and 2022
The alleged victim is Mentheour’s daughter, who is now 19. She reportedly alleges that the suspected sexual assaults occurred at the family home between 2017 and 2022, when she was aged between 9 and 13.
According to the report, the young woman has said that memories of the alleged incidents returned through a series of flashbacks. She is also reported to have accused Mentheour of making her consume cannabis and alcohol from the age of 13. The former rider is therefore reportedly being investigated not only over the alleged sexual assaults, but also over the suspected encouragement of a minor to consume drugs and alcohol.
Further allegations reported by Le Parisien concern claims that Mentheour discussed sexual encounters with prostitutes who visited the family home while his daughter was present.
These claims form part of an ongoing preliminary investigation. The available reports do not indicate that Mentheour has been convicted or formally found responsible for any of the alleged conduct.
Mentheour admitted doping after short professional career
Mentheour turned professional during the 1990s and was considered a promising time triallist, but his career lasted only a few seasons. He was removed from Paris-Nice in 1997 after recording a haematocrit level above the UCI’s newly introduced 50 per cent limit. Mentheour and two Italian riders were prevented from starting the second stage and had their licences suspended for 15 days on health grounds.
Although the haematocrit threshold was not itself a direct positive test for EPO, Mentheour later publicly admitted using performance-enhancing substances during his career.
He retired from professional cycling at the age of 24 after crashing while leading the 1997 Tour de l’Avenir and suffering a fractured wrist. His only professional victory had arrived days earlier in the race’s individual time trial.
Mentheour subsequently detailed his doping in the 1999 book Secret defonce, ma verite sur le dopage, describing both his own drug use and the wider doping system within professional cycling during the EPO era.
He later became an author, fitness personality and sports coach, working with several prominent French public figures. The investigation reported this week concerns alleged events many years after the conclusion of his cycling career.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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