Thor Hushovd (Norway) is the 2010 world champion.(Image credit: Mark Gunter)
Top man: Thor Hushovd (Norway) takes the sprint to win the world title in Geelong.(Image credit: Mark Gunter)
Thor Hushovd shows off his gold medal after becoming the first Norwegian to win a medal of any colour in the men's road race.(Image credit: Luca Bettini)
With great power comes great responsibility and new world champion Thor Hushovd is already facing more media attention, having recently been questioned on his stance on doping.
In an interview with his national press the sprinter said he had never used drugs, in or out of the sport. However he acknowledged that the problem exists, but added that doping would have a limited effect on his racing ability.
“I think overall that it has a greater effect on the riders who must be good every day for a long period of time, and who must consistently ride very fast. It's harder for them than it is, for example, for us sprinters,” he told the Norwegian website NRK Sport.
“I have never seen drugs in the cycling scene, and never in the evenings in the urban environment, so to speak,”
He did not deny the existence of doping with the sport or the society, though. “It's about what you want to achieve. If I wanted to dope in the cycling context, I would have found it, and if I wanted to dope to have more fun on the town - if it's possible - I would have certainly found the drugs there, too, of course," he said.
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