Team Sky have terminated Jonathan Tiernan-Locke’s contract with immediate effect after the British rider was found guilty of a biological passport violation.
Tiernan-Locke, 29, had been provisionally suspended since last December, when the UCI announced it had discovered discrepancies in his biological passport.
Tiernan-Locke has now been suspended from racing by the UCI for two years, until December 31, 2015. He has also been stripped of his 2012 Tour of Britain victory, which he earned while riding for Endura Racing.
Today, Team Sky confirmed Tiernan-Locke has left the team.
In a statement on the team’s website, team principal, Sir Dave Brailsford, said: “Jonathan’s contract has been terminated today.
“Whilst there have been no doubts about his time with us, his doping violation – from readings taken before he joined this team – means there’s no place for him in Team Sky.
“We’ve a well-known stance on anti-doping and our action is the inevitable outcome of a violation. This is a team that trains, races and wins clean.”
Sky’s statement confirmed the anomalous readings were taken in September 2012 – shortly before he joined the team.
Tiernan-Locke has not raced for the team since September 2013, and has been excluded from team activities – races, training camps, public appearances – since the UCI first announced the suspected violation on December 16, 2013.
The Devon-born rider’s suspension was confirmed by his addition to the UCI’s list of banned cyclists. The file also confirms his results at the 2012 Tour of Britain and the 2012 World Championships have been disqualified.
