British amateur cyclist banned for four years after failing drugs test
Thursday 21 January 2016 13:47, UK
A British amateur cyclist has been banned from all sport for four years after failing a drugs test at a time trial.
Robin Townsend, 46, tested positive for the stimulant modafinil at the Burton and District Cycling Alliance 100 Miles event on September 5.
He denies ingesting the substance intentionally and said the "only possible explanation" he could offer was that his drink had been "spiked at the event".
Townsend, who is the national 12-hour time trial champion, speculated at his United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) hearing that the person responsible may have been a rival with whom he had been having a long-standing dispute.
He said he left his bike unattended for no more than 20 minutes while registering for the race and suspected that the rival took the opportunity to switch his drinks bottle.
However, UKAD did not feel the spiking explanation was "sufficient" and banned Townsend from October 8, 2015, to October 7, 2019.
Graham Arthur, UKAD's director of legal, said: "Under the World Anti-Doping Code, all athletes, whether amateur or professional, must follow the principal of 'Strict Liability'.
"They are solely responsible for any banned substance which is found in their system, whether or not there is an intention to cheat.
"This can be challenging for an athlete. They need to be aware of the danger to their career at all times."
Last March, the Cycling Independent Reform Commission report found that doping in amateur cycling is becoming "endemic" due to "ease of access to drugs" and "reduction in costs". It added that Masters races have "middle-aged businessmen winning on EPO".
Townsend is the second amateur cyclist to have been banned by UKAD in the past two months, after British Masters road race champion Andrew Hastings was banned for four years in December following a positive test for anabolic steroids.
Meanwhile, British junior 10-mile time trial champion Gabriel Evans admitted last month to using EPO but has not yet been sanctioned.
