British cyclist Tiernan Locke gets two-year doping ban

Briton Jonathan Tiernan-Locke has been banned for two years after irregularities were found in his biological passport, an International Cycling Union (UCI) document showed on Thursday.

He features on a list of riders sanctioned for doping offences (http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/getObject.asp?MenuId=MTU3Mjg&ObjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=Nzk5OTY&LangId=1). His ban will end on Dec. 31, 2015. Tiernan-Locke, as a consequence, was stripped of his 2012 Tour of Britain title and his 2012 world championship results, and sacked by Team Sky.

"Jonathan's contract has been terminated today," Team Sky manager Dave Brilsford said in a statement.

"Whilst there have been no doubts about his time with us, his doping violation - from readings taken before he joined this team - means there's no place for him in Team Sky. We've a well-known stance on anti-doping and our action is the inevitable outcome of a violation. This is a team that trains, races and wins clean."

Once hailed as a brilliant British prospect, Tiernan-Locke was withdrawn from racing last September after being questioned by the UCI over a discrepancy in his blood data. Tiernan-Locke then pulled out of the world championships road race in Florence. He has not raced since.

The 29-year-old rider broke into the limelight in 2012, winning the Tour Mediterraneen, the Tour du Haut Var and the Tour of Britain while riding for the British Endura Racing team.

Sky said the discrepancies came from a period dating from 2012, before the rider signed for them.