Moscow  - Three Russian cyclists, including former European junior champion Ilnur Zakarin, have been handed bans by the Russian cycling federations (FVSR) over doping violations.

The 19-year-old Zakarin, winner of the 2007 European Under-18 title, and former Russian mountain bike champion Yekaterina Melnikova, 22, both received two-year bans for testing positive for banned stimulations while Kirill Bozhenko, 22, received a 12-month suspension.

The FVSR refused to give further details about the bans.(dpa)