Disgraced Millar gets two-year ban for doping offences

CYCLIST David Millar received a two-year ban from the sport yesterday after admitting to doping offences.

The Scot was also stripped of his 2003 world time trial title and fined approximately £900 (€1,364) for taking banned drug EPO.

Millar won the title last October but on July 1 privately confessed to judge Richard Pallain that he had used the drug. An independent disciplinary panel sitting for British Cycling considered information from a number of sources and also questioned Millar before finding him guilty of intentional doping.

The panel were allowed to consider factors surrounding the offences before deciding on an appropriate punishment. They also disqualified him from the 2003 Dauphine Libere Stage race and the 2001 Tour of Spain - where he claims he was introduced to the drug by a team-mate.

The disgraced cyclist has no right of appeal to British Cycling, but may appeal independently to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Millar had won the world title with a near-faultless display in the time trial at Hamilton, Canada. But the 27-year-old admitted months later that he had used the blood-boosting drug in preparation for the victory.

The former Cofidis rider was detained by French police in June and admitted taking EPO.

Following this admission his home in Biarritz was searched and two empty syringes containing the banned substance were found.

EPO is a hormone which boosts the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. It is useful in endurance events and also in training and is banned in all Olympic sports. Millar later confessed he used EPO on three separate occasions, once in 2001 and twice in 2003.

He then withdrew from the British Olympic team - he was among the favourites to win gold - on July 2 following these admissions.

Millar said at the time: “I had always dreamt of becoming a world champion, I had reached that aim but I had cheated.

“I drugged myself because I was a prisoner of myself, of fame and money. I am not proud to have drugged myself, I am not happy about it. I was a prisoner of the person I had become.”