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Tour Down Under director launches legal action against SBS

Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur has launched Supreme Court action claiming he was defamed by SBS.

2013-10-07_1241Tour Down Under race director Mike Turtur has launched Supreme Court action against SBS, following comments made on the Cycling Central website and television broadcast last year.

The Advertiser reports he is seeking unspecified damages, interest and costs claiming an online story suggesting he “practised, participated in or engaged in a cover-up of a positive drug test” returned by Italian cyclist Giampaolo Caruso was defamatory.

He also asserts readers’ comments about the story suggested he was corrupt, participating in a code of silence and bringing shame on Australia’s image as a drug free sporting nation.

He also claims he was also defamed by Cycling Central co-presenter Anthony Tan during a broadcast.

SBS denied the allegations and asserts the online story, readers’ comments and statement by Mr Tan were “not capable of being, and are not, defamatory”.

SBS lost the rights to the Tour Down Under to Nine at the beginning of 2012.