Two Austrian U23 riders have been suspended for two years in doping cases relating to the World Championships in Salzburg in September. The Austrian federation announced the sentences against Christian Ebner and Marco Oreggia on Thursday. The suspensions were backdated to start of the race on September 14, 2006. On that date, there was an unannounced doping control at the U23 riders' training camp in Bad Tatzmannsdorf.
Ebner disappeared after the doping controller appeared and is considered to have purposely skipped the doping control. Oreggia tested positive for EPO. Both riders have already indicated that they intend to challenge the ruling, according to Gernot Schaar, head of the Austrian anti-coping committee.
