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Three-time World Time-Trial Champion Michael Rogers has remarked he felt “betrayed” by former Cycling Australia chief executive Adrian Anderson who commented that Cycling Australia would support the maximum sanctions under the WADA code if he was found guilty of doping.
In a statement, Anderson had remarked the fact that the drug testing process continues to uncover positive tests should be a lesson to all cyclists that if they chose to dope they can expect to be caught.
The Australian professional road bicycle racer who rides for Tinkoff-Saxo tested positive for Clenbuterol at the Japan Cup in October 2013. In a press release, Rogers had remarked Clenbuterol had entered his system while he was participating at the Tour of Beijing a week earlier, which was a race organized by the sports promotion branch of the UCI, Global Cycling Productions. He was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to his positive test in April 2014. This was after the UCI, the world governing body of cycling, acknowledged there was a significant possibility that Rogers had eaten contaminated meat while racing in China.
In a statement, UCI said it, upon careful analysis of Rogers’ explanations and the accompanying technical reports, found that that there was a significant probability that the presence of Clenbuterol may have resulted from the consumption of contaminated meat from China – where Rogers had taken part in a race before travelling to Japan. It was added the UCI as a result has proceeded with the automatic disqualification of Rogers’ results at the 2013 Japan Cup Cycle Road Race but decided after consulting WADA that he should not be sanctioned any further. However, the cyclist had to serve a provisional ban while his case was investigated.
Rogers said he was very surprised by the statement of the CEO of Cycling Australia Adrian Anderson considering he was not a member of Cycling Australia since 2005. The Australian rider added Cycling Australia had no documentation from the UCI, no documentation from the World Anti-Doping Agency and they knew nothing other than what was in the press at the time so such statements from a leader of Cycling Australia in his opinion were uncalled for. Rogers added he reached out to Adrian Anderson from Cycling Australia and asked for his assistance to help himself rebuild a place in cycling. The cyclist went on to add that there are fantastic people in Cycling Australia like Kevin Tabottas, Paul Brosnans, and Bradley McGees but he believes Adrian Anderson did not have an understanding for cycling.
Rogers added he wanted to end his exile from the national team by making an attempt to earn selection for the Rio Olympics. The cyclist confirmed he would participate in the time trial and road race at the national championships in Ballarat in January that would result in his selection for Australia’s Olympic team in Rio.
The 35-year-old has won the Tour Down Under, Tour of California, stages of the Tour de France, and Giro d’Italia. Rogers is now a key lieutenant for Spanish team leader Alberto Contador.