Hamburg - Cyclists caught doping face a four-year ban from next year onwards as the ruling body UCI will double the punishment for cheaters.
The cyclingnews website said Wednesday that UCI boss Pat McQuaid has confirmed the tougher measures which are to act as a strong deterrent in the drugs-infested sport.
"Currently the world anti-doping code gives a maximum two-year sanction in the case of a positive test. From the first of January there is a bit more flexibility in it, and we can go up to a four year ban in the cases of something regarded as willful cheating," McQuaid told cyclingnews.
McQuaid named the latest positive tests from German Stefan Schumacher and Austrian Bernhard Kohl as examples.
"In these cases, considering that these guys were given the product and then went and took it for the Tour de France, it would be very much classified as willful cheating. Next year a rider in that position would face a four year ban," he said.
Schumacher and Kohl were caught using the third generation of the blood booster EPO, known as CERA, during retests of samples gathered at the Tour de France. If found guilty they face a two-year ban.
Schumacher won both time trials and was the overall race leader for two days. Kohl came third in the final standings. (dpa)
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