When the Innsbruck court convicted 27-year-old Baldauf of fraud against his sponsors today, it is in part of the aftermath that he admitted last year that he used both blood doping and growth hormones.
Baldauf's defense attorney, Andreas Mauhart, dismissed the accusation that the Austrian driver's doping harmed his sponsors, "because he was supposed to go cross-country skiing and that was exactly what he did."
Mauhart also suggested that the Austrian Ski Federation was aware of the doping.
Baldauf is one of the 23 athletes involved in the blood-doping scandal, which was highlighted in connection with the police efforts made in February last year in Innsbruck and Seefeld.
Soon, more athletes will have their goals heard by the court in Innsbruck, including the cyclists Georg Preidler and Stefan Denifl.