Former Team Sky rider Kanstantsin Sivtsov has been banned for four years for using erythropoietin.
The Belarusian, 37, was suspended after EPO was found in an out-of-competition sample in September 2018. He subsequently retired.
Sivtsov, who rode for Sky from 2012 to 2015, was part of the team that helped Briton Chris Froome win his first Tour de France in 2013.
At the time of his suspension Sivtsov was riding for Bahrain-Merida.
The ban – imposed following an International Cycling Union (UCI) anti-doping tribunal – expires on 4 September 2022.
EPO, a hormone produced naturally by the kidneys, can be made artificially and has been found to improve endurance in athletes.
This article was originally published by Bbc.co.uk. Read the original article here.