Jaksche suspended for one year

Jörg Jaksche was handed a one year suspension by the Austrian cycling federation on Wednesday, having been found guilty of taking EPO and growth hormones, as well as having used blood doping. The suspension was backdated to run from July 2, 2007, the day Jaksche made his public confession to German magazine Speigel. Such violations usually carry a two year ban, but the federation applied the 'state's witness' regulation, which reduces the sentence when the suspect cooperates.

Jaksche's hearing, closed to the public at his request, was held by the anti-doping committee of the Österreichischer Radsport Verein (ÖRV) since the German resides in Kitzbuhel, Austria and therefore races under an Austrian licence. The 30 year-old has the right to appeal the suspension to the ÖRV's independent judiciary committee and ultimately to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The former Tinkoff Credit Systems rider was also required to pay 1,500 euro to cover the costs of the hearings.

Jaksche was the first rider implicated in Operación Puerto to publicly confess his involvement with Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. According to Austrian press agency APA, he repeated that confession on Wednesday but with more detail, and said he would make himself available as a witness to the World Anti-Doping Agency, the UCI and to justice officials.

His suspension must still be approved by the UCI. "When the UCI receives official notification, it will review the case and decide whether it accepts the decision," UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told German press agency dpa.