Rider had refused to provide sample at track nationals
After refusing to take an in- competition doping control on July 29th of this year at the Masters Track Nationals in Trexlertown, Pa, 45 year old Roger Hernandez has been handed a two year ban by USADA.
The Miami, Florada competitor fell foul of the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and the International Cycling Union (UCI) Anti-Doping Rules which, under the WADA Code, mean requested riders are obligated to give controls if asked.
If they decline to do so, they are liable to a ban of up to two years. Rodriguez has been handed that maximum sentence, beginning 21 August of this year, and has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and after the July 29th testing date.
He is the latest in a number of masters riders to be suspected in recent months. At least some of those are thought to have purchased doping agents from former US pro rider Joe Papp.
He has said that he has been working with USADA in order to expose the riders who were his clients. He recently implicated Jeannie Longo’s husband and coach Patrice Ciprelli in purchasing EPO over the internet. Ciprelli has been suspended by French cycling’s federation (FFC) while an-under pressure Longo declined to contest the time trial at the world road race championships. She has claimed she is innocent.