Hondo accepts suspension

German cyclist Danilo Hondo, who tested positive for the forbidden drug Carphedon this spring, has accepted the one-year suspension of the Swiss cycling federation and will not appeal. His attorney, Michael Lehner, confirmed the decision and said that it will be possible for Hondo to return to a ProTour team as it is stated in the judgment, "the intention [of an infraction - ed.] could not be proven."

In fact, the quantity of Carphedon found in Hondo's body was so small that it could not have had a significant effect on performance. Nevertheless, the substance developed in Eastern bloc labs in the 1980's is available in Europe only by purchase on the Internet. Hondo, who always maintained his innocence, could not explain how it came into his body. "I will be a different man after this," he said. "The whole affair changed my personality a lot. I hope to come back to cycling without wearing the stigma of a doper. One year is tough, but it also shows that the court made a step towards me. This judgment gives me the chance to reintegrate."

Hondo may likely return to his previous squad Gerolsteiner when he will get back to pro cycling on April 1, 2006. Team manager Hans-Michael Holczer had declared previously that he wanted to examine the judgment to see "if we can give Danilo a second chance." Holczer insisted that this may only be possible if the judgment provided doubt about his guilt.