Robert Stannard signs with Bahrain Victorious after accepting doping sanction
Australian cleared to race afte🐼r back-dated ban and ready to compete at Tour of Britain
Australian 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Robert Stannard, 25, rejoined the WorldTour "with imꦉmediate effect" on Tuesday, signing with the Bahrain Victorious squad.
The team announced with the signing that Stannard would make his debut at the upcoming 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour of Britain, September 3-8.
Stannard last competed with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alpecin-Deceuninck (2022-2023), having started his career with Mitchelton-Scott in 2018. He won the Tour de Wallonie in 2022 but his racing career came to a halt in August last year when the UCI provisionꦚally suspended him for "use of prohibited Methods and/or prohibited substances".
The case concluded in June with Stannard♐ accepting a four-year back-dated suspension for "unexplained" abnormal values on his 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) in 2018 and 2019, according to the UCI.
"It's awesome to be able to ride my bike again, to be able to continue my c✃ycling career," Stannard said in the Bahrain Victorious press release.
"I had to mak𒅌e a hard choice: accept the ruling and be able to do the sport I love again, or fight to clear my name. I believe I've made the wisest choice. I hope to be able to do both in the long run, but for now, I am seizing with both hands the opportunity to race again!
"I feel like I've go🐎t my life back, i💦n a way. I can't wait to return to racing, and I'm so grateful to have been given this opportunity by Bahrain."
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Stannard continues꧅ to deny wrongdoing, saying he had never intentionally used prohibited substances.
"Athletes with ABP violations have not returned positive blood or urine tests for anything," Stannard staဣ𒈔ted in today's press release.
"They ℱalleged that it could only have been caused by 'illegal means', but th🤡roughout the entire process, provided no evidence of any wrongdoing. No evidence of doping is collected or required for them to reach this judgment.
"I hope the Tribunal ruling will be published in the future, and then people will be able to read the details and make up their own minds. But it's ce꧒ꦗrtainly changed my perspective on things, on cycling, and life as a whole."
Vladimir Miholjevič, Bahrain Victorious' performance manager, believes Stannard can thrive in the team.
"We are happy to have Robert joining us. Robert went through a difficult period, with a lot of confusion, but we support him, and through our medical teams' analysis we could not conclude any wrongdoing," Miholjevič said.
"He has been cleared to race in the professio💛nal peloton again, and is a talented rider who we think has great potential."
Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates covera♔ge for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she li💖kes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.