) is a former professional road racing cyclist

Road bicycle racing

Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...

 from Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. He is national road champion of 1997. In 1998 he won the World Road Championship

World Cycling Championship

The UCI Road World Championships, often referred to as the World Cycling Championships, is the annual world championship for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale . The UCI Road World Championships include championships for elite men's road race and individual time trial...

 and the Giro di Lombardia, in 2000 he won the Tour de Suisse

Tour de Suisse

The Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...

 and he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2001. His career came to an abrupt end when he retired from pro cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 after a positive doping test in July 2004 for erythropoietin

Erythropoietin

Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...

, leading into the Athens Olympics

2004 Summer Olympics

The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...

. After confessing to the use, "I made the stupidest of mistakes", in 2005 he was sued in Swiss court in order to name his supplier, which he refused to do fearing retribution.

Teams

• Ceramica Panaria-Vinavil (1996)
• Mapei-GB (1997)
• Mapei-Bricobi (1998)
• Lampre-Daikin (1999–2001)
• Phonak Hearing Systems (2002–2004)

See also

• List of doping cases in cycling
• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

External links