Kohl to open bike store in Vienna

Bernhard Kohl has announced plans to open the largest bike shop in Vienna in the coming year. The former professional rider retired from the sport in May following his two-year suspension for doping during the Tour de France 2008.

Kohl, 27, plans to open the Fitstore 24 - Bikepalast Kohl in Vienna in February. The store will cover 1100 square metres and be next door to a Harley Davidson store.

He plans to work in the store himself. “I will be in the store 12 hours a day,” he told the Österreich newspaper. “We will offer a unique atmosphere, which has never before been seen in Austria.”

Kohl's former manager Stefan Matschiner recently auctioned off an autographed mountains classification jersey from the 2008 Tour de France. He received only 71 euro for the jersey and a feed bag.

Kohl finished third in the Tour and won the mountains classification, but lost both after testing positive during the race for the EPO derivative CERA. Matschiner is said to have provided Kohl with doping assistance over the years.