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.
Well, plenty to pick out of that...firstly and most obviously, if you live down the road from a ski resort that will be months and months of it...
I think it would depend on the wording of the PSPO. E.g. in Bedford, cycling is prohibited in the designated area and there is no mention of the...
I see that what I should have written is that good quality outers are necessary - the split ones were the originals on a bike which only cost £650...
I've no idea what the situation is here, but I've seen plenty of "under construction" cycle lanes where there are only signs/barriers around the...
whereas the whole point is that they didn't hit you this time
AIUI an entering-circulating accident [sic] would be when the vehicle entering the roundabout fails to give way to the vehicle circulating.
Which is great - but you can only take a bus which exists eg. is going somewhere near where you want to go, when you want to go....
Erm, does someone need counting lessons?
My cannondale SuperSix gen3 frameset i recently bought has a sticker saying: made in China. Dont know about the newest models.
Cos style, and did you not read it only weighs 158g!...