Cycling News Jason Kenny sprint champion ten months late after Gregory Bauge declared drugs cheat
Last updated 1/7/2012 11:20:23 AM
Cycling News Jason Kenny sprint champion ten months late
Britain's Jason Kenny has been promoted to world individual sprint champion after Frenchman Gregory Bauge was declared drugs cheat. Bauge has been stripped of the title he won in Apeldoorn in March by world governing body the UCI after receiving a year's suspension.
It also means that Sir Chris Hoy moves up from bronze to silver as a result of the decision.
In the team sprint, Germany were promoted from silver to gold with Britain going from bronze to silver, and Australia from fourth to bronze.
It is a first world gold for Kenny, who won the team sprint title at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The UCI took action after Bauge received a backdated suspension from the French Federation. France also lose the team sprint world title as Bauge took part in the races.
The French cycling federation handed Bauge a 12-month suspension in response to one missed test in 18 months and a violation of rules governing rider availability for drug tests.
The suspension was backdated to 23 December 2010 and thus expired last month but the UCI has now decided that all of Bauge's results in that period - including his two world title-winning races - will be annulled.
Kenny, 23, beat Hoy in the semi-final during last year's World Championships, but lost his subsequent clash with Bauge for individual sprint world gold. He was delighted with the silver at the time but he should feel no shame in now accepting the gold after being robbed of the top place on the podium.
The AFP news agency reported that Bauge's lawyer, Jim Michel-Gabriel, had questioned the impartiality of the UCI in the wake of the announcement.
"They are not blaming him [Bauge] for doping, they are blaming him for having overlooked his administrative obligations. And these are debatable, as one of them arose simply because he was ill," Michel-Gabriel was quoted as saying.
"There is no reason to strip him of his titles. The only direct rival to Mr Bauge was an Englishman and, as you are aware, the 2012 Olympic Games are being staged in London."
Bauge's backdated suspension means he is clear to compete at London 2012, having helped France to a silver medal behind Britain in the team sprint at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
He is also likely to feature in February's Olympic test event at the Velodrome on the Olympic Park, which doubles as a stage of track cycling's World Cup and is set to feature both Hoy and Kenny among a strong British line-up.
He is not going to be the most popular cyclist at the meeting despite his lawyer's excuses.