Urine samples are prepared for testing in the Swiss Laboratory for Analysis of Doping

The International Olympic Committee has begun investigating possible doping violations by cyclists at previous Olympic games after members of the German Telekom team admitted taking drugs.

The IOC said it had set up a disciplinary panel to see whether cyclists used drugs when they won their Olympic medals. The three-member panel will report to the IOC executive board, which has the power to strip athletes of medals from previous Olympics going back eight years.

The move comes after several members of the Telekom team - including former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis of Denmark - admitted using the endurance-booster EPO.

Riis's Telekom teammate, Jan Ullrich of Germany, won the Olympic road race gold medal and silver in the time trial at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. A former Telekom trainer said he gave Ullrich EPO during his career. Ullrich has denied any wrongdoing.

Last Saturday, a doctor for Germany's Olympic team admitted providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes as far back as 1980. Georg Huber was suspended by German cycling authorities and the University of Freiburg, where he worked at the university clinic.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.