Former Giro d'Italia winner Denis Menchov banned over doping violations
Last Updated: 13/07/14 1:23pm
Retired former Giro d'Italia winner Denis Menchov has been handed a two-year ban dating back to 2013 after irregularities were found in his biological passport.
Menchov, who won the Giro in 2009, has had his Tour de France results from that year, 2010 and 2012 expunged from the records.
But, for unexplained reasons, the Russian was not disqualified from his Giro success.
The International Cycling Union (UCI), cycling's governing body, the UCI, said in a statement: “The Union Cycliste Internationale confirms that it has imposed a two-year ban on Russian rider Denis Menchov as a result of anti-doping rule violations based on his Athlete Biological Passport.
"The rider is declared ineligible until April 9 2015 and is disqualified from the Tour de France 2009, 2010 and 2012, competitions during which abnormalities were clearly identified. The proceedings were initiated in 2013.
'Accepted sanction'
"The rider has exercised his procedural rights and accepted a proposal of sanction in accordance with the UCI Anti-Doping Rules. WADA and RUSADA have been duly informed and the sanction published on the UCI list of doping sanctions."
Menchov, who also won the Vuelta a Espana on two occasions, finished second in the 2010 Tour behind Andy Schleck, who himself took the yellow jersey after Alberto Contador's victory was removed for a doping offence.
The 36-year-old retired last year citing knee problems after a career that saw him constantly under suspicion for doping offences.
He was accused in a Gazzetta dello Sport expose of being involved with trainer Michele Ferrari, who was at the centre of the Lance Armstrong scandal, and denied allegations made towards him by Michael Rasmussen, who testified that he shared blood doping practices with Menchov.
