Canadian cyclist receives life ban: report

Canadian cycling champion Genevieve Jeanson says she is not a drug cheat and plans to fight to clear her name.

Jeanson tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) last summer and has been banned for life by USA Cycling, according to a report in Thursday's edition of La Presse.

Jeanson, a native of Lachine, Que., competes with a racing license issued by USA Cycling.

Even though she plans to retire from the sport, Jeanson told the Montreal newspaper she intends to take her case to the American Arbitration Association (AAA) to have the positive drug test overturned.

The 24-year-old former world junior cycling champion tested positive in two tests for the endurance-enhancing substance at the Tour de Toona in Pennsylvania on July 25. The tests were administered by the United States Doping Agency.

Another test conducted by the International Cycling Union two days later showed Jeanson was clean.

The case went to an American review board, which upheld the positive test and recommended she be banned for life.

EPO stimulates the production of more red blood cells, which increases an athlete's aerobic capacity and muscle endurance. Jeanson has denied ever taking EPO.

Jeanson said that if her appeal to the AAA fails she will take it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

In the meantime, Jeanson is retiring from cycling.

"It's over," she told La Presse. "I don't want anything more to do with cycling.

"I'm tired of fighting, tired of repeating that I've never taken EPO or any other banned substance. Since the start of my career, I've spent almost as much energy defending myself against accusations of doping as I have on racing."

Jeanson has battled doping control problems over the past couple seasons, even though she has never tested positive for any banned substances.

She was kept out of the women's road race at the 2003 world championships in Hamilton, Ont., due to an elevated red blood count. However, a urine test later showed no evidence of EPO.

Jeanson also escaped suspension for failing to appear for a doping test after the 2004 Fleche Wallonne competition Belgium.

Jeanson later said she skipped that test because she was distraught that a pre-race test showed a high level of red blood cells. A later test again showed a normal count.