Marcel Six (Metaltek-Scott) will serve an 18-month ban after refusing a doping control to be with his wife and children.
The Belgian, who holds a UK racing licence, left the Canary Wharf round of the Halfords Tour Series before giving a urine sample believing that his family needed him urgently.
The independent National Anti-Doping Panel acknowledged that Six had invited the UK Anti-Doping’s officer to accompany him or to conduct the test the following day.
But they did not accept that his desire to put his family first was “compelling justification” for refusing the test. They did, however, rule that he had behaved “without significant fault”.
“Honourable though the athlete’s motives may have been, we have no hesitation in finding that his refusal was not based on any compelling justification,” the panel said.
“To be blunt, even if he agreed to race only at the last minute and under pressure, the fact of the matter is that, if he had time to compete in a cycle race, he had to make time to take the test.
“If, as was later the case, he wished to put his family first, then the time to do that was before he agreed to race rather than when he came to be tested.”
Six had finished eleventh at the Canary Wharf round, becoming one of the first 12 riders to be tested at that event. His 18-month ban began on September 28 2012 and will expire on March 27 2014.
Andrew Swain, team manager of Metaltek-Scott, defended his rider’s actions on the team’s Facebook page. He said:
“We understand the decision of UKAD and that rules are rules and Marcel made a massive error of judgment in refusing a test on the night of Canary Wharf. When you are aware of the circumstances surrounding the matter, an urgent private family situation, coupled with the fact he was tested 12 hours later at home (by UKAD) which of course proved negative, along with other negative tests at Lincoln and Stocton (sic) GPs plus two further ‘out of competition’ tests, the headlines are somewhat harsh and mislead the reader to more serious wrong doing.
“In UKAD’s statement, they quote Marcel was able to ‘demonstrate he was at no particular fault or negligent’. We have found Marcel to be nothing but professional this year and he wouldn’t wish to tarnish his name, cherished family and our team. He of course accepts the outcome of UKAD and the consequences of his actions that evening.
“As a team we welcome everything UKAD is doing for the good of the sport and will continue to support them.”
UPDATE: The Metaltek-Scott team published a statement on its website on Monday October 29 announcing that Six had been dismissed.
It read: “Marcel Six has been dismissed from the Team for gross misconduct; this is following the ruling of UKAD on Friday 26th October for not providing a urine sample back in May.”
