Hamburg - German cyclist Matthias Kessler has been banned for two years for a doping offence, it was announced on Friday. Kessler was found guilty of testosterone abuse in a test carried out on April 24 at the Fleche Wallone race in Belgium. He protested his innocence stating a general health problem but was punished by the Swiss Olympic Committee.
Proceedings took place in Switzerland because he was a rider for the Astana team competing with a Swiss licence at the time. He was dumped by the team after the positive test was announced.
Kessler's lawyer Michael Lehner said that kessler would likely bring the case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have the issue settled via expert reports.
