Some of you might be surprised, or even shocked, to see Filip Meirhaeghe’s mug gracing the cover of VeloNews issue No. 10, now on newsstands and in bike shops. I can understand why.

Meirhaeghe is easily mountain bike racing’s most controversial figure — his 2004 EPO positive came while he wore the world champion’s stripes and was the odds-on pick to win the Olympics. His doping positive was serious setback to cross-country racing and — along with Jerome Chiotti — Meirhaeghe remains one of the discipline’s highest-profile drug cheats. And since returning from a relatively light 15-month suspension, Meirhaeghe has produced what could charitably be called less-than-stellar results.

I wasn’t completely involved in the decision to put Meirhaeghe on the cover. It’s actually a split cover — the first we’ve done in years. Issues going to subscribers and bike shops show a jubilant Christian Vande Velde spraying champagne atop the Giro podium, while the newsstand editions feature the Meirhaeghe cover.

Before the fall: Meirhaeghe was last featured on a VeloNews cover in 2003.

I can, however, discuss why VeloNews chose to focus its lens on the Belgian, who is trying to work his way back after a spectacular fall from grace. Road cycling has its fair share of Meirhaeghe-like figures — top riders who cheated, got caught, did their time and returned to the sport with their fame intact. Richard Virenque, David Millar and soon Ivan Basso (his suspension ends in October) all come to mind. But in mountain biking, Meirhaeghe is the only top competitor out there with a suspension behind him. Belgian fans have welcomed him back with open arms, thanks in no small part to his newfound role as a star of Flemish reality TV. Meirhaeghe’s peers, however, have been less than enthused.

I sat down with Meirhaeghe at the second round of the UCI World Cup in Offenburg, Germany. Now 37, Meirhaghe is a new father; his son Bo was born on March 10. Meirhaeghe is a friendly and talkative man; downright likeable, you could say. He is surprisingly candid and open about his decision to cheat, as well as the demons that have haunted him since his return.

Here are a few excerpts from my interview with the Belgian.

VeloNews: Talk to me about your primary sponsor these days, Bart Versluys.

Filip Meirhaeghe: He is one of the biggest [real estate] developers on the Belgian coast, and his company is very fast growing. He is still quite young and very interested in cycling. He actually contacted me [before 2004] because he read in an article that I could not find a Belgian sponsor when I was riding with Specialized. I had room on my pants free so I could put a private sponsor [logo] there, but I could not find one. He called me and we became friends. When I was suspended he was the one who said ‘I believe in you.’ I told him I would never race again, and he said when I started again he would be my first sponsor.

VN: So here it is two years after you came back and you are amazingly popular at the races. I’m sure you did not expect that when you were serving your suspension.

FM: No, God no I did not. I did not know what to expect. It was very difficult. I knew I had some support because I got letters from fans asking me to come back and race again, saying they will still support and believe in me. At Houffalize I was very surprised. I got the loudest cheer. It was amazing. If I was racing and getting just bad cheers, then it would not be possible to continue.

VN: I would imagine your experience as a TV star has helped boost your popularity.

FM: Yes, if I walk into a bar in the Flanders area it’s like everyone recognizes me. Before, it was people who followed the sport who knew me. I have more media coverage than ever before in Belgium. It has made everything to me. It opens doors. And I think people got to know me in a different way, and that helped make me more popular. I think, no, I am more popular than before the suspension in Belgium.

VN: You got your TV start on a show that was like Survivor. Tell me about that experience.

FM: Well I was feeling very bad in my head, and told myself that I can’t get any worse. It was in my suspension and [producers from the show] asked me. I said “of course.” So we did three weeks survival show in Africa. It was called Stanley’s Route, and was in Tanzania. Stanley was a famous explorer. It was real reality TV, not fake reality TV. It was real survival, and we had to work together to just live. We slept outside and didn’t sleep much. We were in huts and catching and frying animals and finding roots to eat. It was really good, it was a good break. It turned out we were all people who were famous in the Flanders area and all in periods of our lives where we needed a break from reality.

VN: You had another reality show that followed your comeback to racing. How do you feel you were portrayed on that show?

FM: Well, the goal of the show was to see whether I could make it back to a decent level after my suspension. The big question was whether I could qualify for the Olympics. That is how they built it up. They came with me on training rides and were there when I felt bad and doubting myself. I struggled a lot mentally in 2006. I started ok and got fourth place in Spa [Francorchamps World Cup] which was only thanks to the bad weather. But after that I fell back. I gained four kilos and was not training much. It was a bad time in my head and I was thinking I should quit racing and I should go look for another job. But I kept training and did not expect to finish seventh at worlds [in Rotorua, New Zealand]. It was a big victory for me. It was a happy ending for the show.

VN: So your results seem to be quite below your average this year. What do you think that is from?

FM: You need a really good base to do well at mountain biking. This year it didn’t work out for me. The entire pre season in the spring was mostly all rain and that made for bad training. And I have been rebuilding my house to get ready for the baby. I don’t have an explanation for my finish at Houffalize [he finished 58th]. There was just no power in my legs. I think it was my worst result there since 1995. I had some phone calls from friends saying ‘Don’t lose your head and just continue.’ They are right.

VN: How long will you continue racing?

FM: I will do one more year after this year and then stop. But if I continue my season [this year] like I raced in Houffalize then this will be my final season. I am guessing it would not be easy to do this sport and be a parent. I will not know because when [his son] Bo realizes what his dad does I won’t be active anymore.

VN: And when Bo is old enough, what will you tell him about your decision to use drugs?

FM: I will just say that is how it is. It will be how it is, nothing else. Maybe in the beginning he won’t understand but later he will. I have no bad feelings; I just want to say how it is. When I am on a holiday and I meet people I just tell them. It is part of me. I am not ashamed. That is how it was. It is done, it is in the past. It was four years ago.