TDU race director Mike Turtur launches defamation lawsuit against SBS over claims he deliberately covered up cycling doping

EXCLUSIVE: Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur is suing SBS over claims he covered up doping in professional cycling.

Mike Turtur, the Tour Down Under race director, is suing broadcaster SBS.

THE man behind the state's biggest international sporting event is embroiled in a legal row with Australia's multicultural broadcaster over claims he covered up doping in professional cycling.

Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur has launched Supreme Court action against SBS, seeking unspecified damages, interest and costs.

Court documents obtained by Advertiser.com.au reveal the action centres on comments made on the network's Cycling Central website and television broadcast last year.

In his statement of claim, Mr Turtur asserts an online story, titled TDU officials cover up doping positive, was defamatory.

He asserts it suggested he "practised, participated in or engaged in a cover-up of a positive drug test" returned by Italian cyclist Giampaolo Caruso after his 2003 Tour Down Under stage victory.

Mr Turtur, 55, further asserts the story's updated headline TDU officials criticised as going easy on doping positive further suggested he did not take seriously the problem of illegal drug taking in professional cycling.

He asserts readers' comments about the story suggested 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.

BRINGING shame on Australia's image as a drug free sporting nation.

Mr Turtur asserts he was also defamed in a statement made during a television broadcast by Cycling Central co-presenter Anthony Tan.

He asserts Mr Tan's comment was defamatory by reason of innuendo.

Mr Turtur further asserts the online story and broadcast have "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," he asserts.

Mr Turtur, an Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, did not wish to comment about the defamation lawsuit when contacted by The Advertiser.

In its statement of defence, SBS denies the allegations and the damages claimed by Mr Turtur.

It asserts the online story, readers' comments and statement by Mr Tan were "not capable of being, and are not, defamatory".

An SBS spokeswoman declined to comment because the case was before the courts.