Drug-taking by amateurs is getting worse, with another rider - this time a 41-year-old competing in Masters' races - testing positive and being banned for five years.
A 41-year old American amateur cyclist has been suspended for four years are testing positive for multiple banned substances in an out of competition control test in December of last year.
Michael Buckley, from the state of Nevada, took anabolic steroids to enhance his performance.
However, it is not known if the prohibited substances were in his system when he finished 5th in the 2015 time-trial national championships in the 40-44 age category.
He also finished seventh in the criterium nationals in Ogden, Utah.
His test results and sanction is the latest in a growing number of amateur riders to be banned in different parts of the world for doping.
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The Independent Commission for Reform in Cycling warned in its report last year “doping in amateur cycling is becoming endemic”.
“This was confirmed by riders, professionals, managers and anti-doping personnel,” it added, going on to express particular concern about middle aged men doping to win Masters or veterans races.
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“Masters races were said to have middle-aged businessmen winning on EPO, with some of them training as hard as professional riders and putting in comparable performances.”
The report’s authors said they had spoken to former pro riders who no longer rode some Gran Fondo events “because they were so competitive due to the number of riders doping”.
Since the report emerged there have been positive tests in junior, senior amateur and masters races around the world.
In the latest case in the US, Michael Buckley’s period of ineligibility began on January 20th, 2016, with USA Cycling now confirming the rider has accepted his sanction.
In addition, Buckley has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to December 5th, 2015; the date the sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
A statement on the USADA website read: "Buckley, 41, tested positive for the presence of an exogenous anabolic steroid which was confirmed by CIR (GC/C/IRMS) analysis, anastrozole, LGD-4033, and ostarine as the result of an out-of-competition sample collected on December 5, 2015.
“Anastrozole is a substance in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators, while exogenous anabolic steroids, ostarine, and LGD-4033 are considered anabolic agents.
“These substances are prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) National Anti-Doping Policies (USOC NADP) and the International Cycling Union (ICU) Anti-Doping Rules, all of whom have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.”
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