The UCI has today confirmed that former AG2R La Mondiale rider Steve Houanard has been banned for two years after testing positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test. It has also asked for disciplinary proceedings to be opened against Belgian cyclist Leif Hoste as a result of irregularities in his biological passport profile.
Hoste, aged 35 and three times a runner-up at the Tour of Flanders, retired at the end of the 2012 season, which he rode with the Belgian UCI Professional Continental outfit, Accent Jobs-Willems Verandas.
In the wake of Lance Armstrong’s confession last week the UCI has pointed to its biological passport programme as the key weapon in its arsenal against drugs cheats.
The governing body has stressed that Hoste has “the right to the presumption of innocence until a final decision has been made on this matter.”
However, the fact that the disciplinary proceedings it has asked the Belgian national cycling federation, the RLVB, to open relate to his biological passport, can be seen as providing further evidence to underpin the UCI's insistence that the programme identifies riders who need to be looked at more closely.
Houanard’s ban for using EPO, however - the sample that tested positive was taken on 21 September last year - is perhaps more troubling for the authorities, highlighting that it is not the preserve of riders of past decades, but is being used right now.
The Frenchman, aged 26, turned pro with Argos-Shimano in 2009 and joined AG2R in 2011. As an amateur riding for Chambéry Cyclisme Formation, he finished third overall in the Tour d’Alsace in 2008.
The UCI added that Houanard signed a document accepting the sanction on 18 January.
It seems a cyclist was injured by those runaway horses. No details on how badly, that I can find. Most news outlets seem to be more interested in...
Taxis are the worst.
Quite. I was wondering where the cycling infrastructure is located that causes drivers to go 90 on the M3?
If one is prepared to pay £28 for a TPU tube, the butyl comparison should be Continental's Supersonic ~50g or Schwalbe at 70g. Both costing £8 - ...
I'd buy that for a dollar.
Media needs to do their part, but the readr/consumer also needs to do theirs as well:...
You can't do around getting rid of grass verges. They provide much needed parking space.
Kona makes practical, affordable commuter bikes and goes bust. Colnago makes toys for the affluent and it is booming. Just goes to show that the...
To answer your question, yes you can sometimes feel the difference. Built a set of wheels for a friend and he installed them with new lightweight...
Ah but taking pictures of things to defy the man (avoid a fine) is righteous. Taking pictures of people to grass on them to the cops (perhaps...