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Veteran Scottish track cyclist Bruce Croall has received a doping ban of six months despite a tribunal accepting that the cyclist didn't intentionally took an illegal stimulant.
The National Anti-Doping Panel back-dated the suspension to the time of his offence last year, which means Croall is free to ride again. The track cyclist is on track for a first Commonwealth Games selection. It was agreed by a special panel including a QC and a medical expert that the veteran Scottish cyclist tested positive for Oxilofrine, a ‘specified substance’ under the UCI’s Anti-Doping Rules, as a result of him using a supplement - Dorian Yates Nox Pump. The cyclist, who qualified for the kilo at Glasgow 2014, tested positive after he was placed in two veterans’ races at the UCI World Track Masters in Manchester on October 6 and October 9 last year.
Croall had declared his use of the supplement but started having concerns when it was termed as "unsafe" at a Scottish Cycling presentation. The cyclist immediately agreed to a voluntary suspension after he was informed of his failed doping test in early November. Croall sent the supplement for independent testing for proving it was the source of the amphetamine. The final decision of the National Anti-Doping Panel cleared Bruce Croall of deliberately doping and remarked Croall has certainly proved to our comfortable satisfaction that Oxilofrine entered his body through his ingestion of Dorian Yates Nox Pump. It was also noted by the panel that we make no finding as to how such Oxilofrine came to be present in the supplement, Dorian Yates Nox Pump and we note that the list of ingredients that appears on the supplement’s packaging contains no reference to Oxilofrine nor is there any listed ingredient that has been proved to contain it.
The panel remarked we know Croall had tested negative at least twice before notwithstanding he had regularly taken the supplement and added we also know that the boxer, Brian Magee, tested positive in December 2012, having taken a supplement of the same name. It was also remarked by the panel that we also know that Croall’s own independent testing in November 2013 from another sachet in the same batch confirmed the presence of Oxilofrine in that sample and we accept Croall did not intend to enhance his performance by taking that specified substance. It was found by the panel that Croall under strict anti-doping rules was ‘at a significant degree of fault’ – but decided to back-dated his suspension so that it expired on April 9 of this year.
The 35-year-old City of Edinburgh rider set an age group world record on his way to winning the World Masters title for the 35-39 years age group. Croall admitted that Glasgow boards call for a different set of skills and said transition is very steep and you can feel it taking the speed out of your legs while remarking on the impact on sprinters. He is expected to find himself lining up alongside his City of Edinburgh colleagues Callum Skinner and John Paul.