Vannoppen convicted of drunk driving

By Susan Westemeyer

Belgian rider Tom Vannoppen doesn't seem to be able to get away from making negative headlines. Last month it was announced that he had tested positive for cocaine in an out-of-competition control which cost him his job with Team AVB-USspa. This month has started out with the loss of his driver's license due to drunk driving.

The charges stem from October 2006, when he was clocked by Belgian police doing 180 kilometres an hour, and was found to have 0.18 percent blood alcohol. The alcohol limit in Belgium is 0.05 percent, and the maximum speed on allowed is 120 k/hr. A police court in Sint-Niklaas, Belgian, has now given him a two-month driving ban and ordered him to pay a fine of 1,100 euro.