Retired Belgian facing 300,000 Euro fine and two-year ban
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Leif Hoste (Silence-Lotto) rode up with his Belgian champ jersey that he earned in a somewhat flatter time trial last year in Belgium.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Leif Hoste (Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda's) on the Eikenberg(Image credit: Photopress.be)
Leif Hoste (Discovery Channel) powers up the Kemmelberg(Image credit: Luc Claessen)
Leif Hoste looking pretty happy with his 2010 team(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The anti-doping hearing of Leif Hoste takes place today, after the UCI announced in January that the now-retired rider was under investigation for allegedly violating the Biological Passport program.
If found guilty by the Belgian National Cycling Federation (RLVB), Hoste faces a fine of up 300,000 Euros and a two-year suspension. The 35-year-old would also lose all his results from July 2008 to December 2010, which would include fourth and sixth-place finishes in Paris-Roubaix.
Hoste announced his retirement on December 1, 2012 citing back problems.
According to nieuwsblad.be, the case hinges on three samples – from 2008 following the Tour de France, and two in 2010.
Hoste is a three-time Belgian national time trial champion and a strong Classics contender. He finished second in the Tour of Flanders on three occasions, losing out to Steffen Wesemann in 2004, Tom Boonen in 2006 and Alessandro Ballan in 2007.
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