Eladio Jiménez en route to victory in stage 14 of the 2005 Vuelta a España. (Image credit: AFP)
Eladio Jiménez has announced his “absolute” retirement from cycling. The Spaniard was provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI) earlier this week on doping charges.
In announcing that he was leaving the sport, the 33-year-old said “if you don't want me to be in cycling, I will stay home. It is better.”
On Monday, the UCI said that Jiménez had tested positive for EPO after his victory in the sixth stage of the Volta a Portugal. He has denied the charges, saying, “I have done nothing.”
Jiménez also announced that he has asked for the B-sample to be tested, which will happen in the next fifteen days. “Let's see if I'm lucky with the counter-analysis and it is negative, because I am innocent,” he said, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
The Spaniard has ridden professionally for 13 years and can look back to three stage wins in the Vuelta a Espana (2000, 2004 and 2005). He rode this season for the Continental team Centro Ciclismo de Loulé – Louletano, and had a “good agreement” to ride for the US team Rock Racing with his friend Paco Mancebo for 2010.
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