Doping news:Milram's Roy Sentjens suspended while NZ track cyclist gets two year ban (original) (raw)

Sentjens out of Vuelta while Stewart out of cycling for two years

Cycling's war against doping looks to have claimed two more scalps with the news that Milram rider Roy Sentjens has been provisionally suspended by the UCI for failing a dope test, while New Zealand track sprinter Adam Stewart was yesterday banned for two yeas for attempted use of EPO.

Sentjens was lying 49th on the general classification at the Vuelta after stage 11, the UCI announced his suspension after traces of EPO were found in an out of competition urine sample taken last month. He will take no further part in the race and is suspended from all competition pending a disciplinary hearing by the Belgian Cycling Federation. Sentjens faces a minimum two year ban if found guilty of the offence.

Meanwhile Stewart who has never failed a dope test and had been expected to be a part of the New Zealand track sprint team at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi was found guilty of trying to import EPO and a human chorionic gonadotrphin (hGC) a testosterone masking agent.Talking to NZPA Kieran Turner head of BikeNZ, the governing body of the sport in New Zealand, described described Stewarts actions as "incredibly stupid" Turner added that "It's a real shock for New Zealand cycling – there's very few of these sorts of infringements in New Zealand sport in general."

Stewart had been with the New Zealand track squad preparing for the Commonwealth Games by racing and training in Europe and the United States, when the offence came to light he was immediately recalled to New Zealand and admitted his guilt at a hearing of the New Zealand Sports Tribunal on tuesday. That, said the tribunal, saved him from getting the maximum four year ban usually handed down to those importing banned performance enhancing drugs.

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