Joe Papp will not be able to ride until August 31, 2015 as he faced an 8 year ban by USADA
America cyclist, Joe Papp, has been banned from international cycling for a long period of 8 years. He was accused of distributing performance enhancing drugs over the internet.
Papp’s involvement with doping is not new as the cyclist already served a two year ban in the past.
He returned with a positive urine sample on May 7, 2006, during the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey. Joe was then banned from July 31, 2006 to July 31, 2008.
The 2006 ban suggested that he will be stripped of from all the results that he had achieved since July 1, 2001.
The cyclist has yet again agreed to the charges levied on him, making this his second anti doping violation.
The 36-year-old was lucky to survive the life ban because of the fact that he fully cooperated during the investigation.
His punishment was therefore reduced to eight years, suggesting Joe will not be able to ride until August 31, 2015.
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stated on the cyclist’s case, "He has provided substantial assistance to anti-doping authorities, sharing information about ongoing criminal activity as well as potential anti-doping rule violations by athletes
under USADA's jurisdiction and/or the jurisdiction of other anti-doping organisations".
Papp was also accused in the Floyd Landis case in 2007, as Pittsburgh federal court declared him guilty in 2010. He was accused of distributing performance enhancing drugs on two different occasions.
The rider is still in the red zone as he might have to spend 5 years of his life behind bars for selling EPO and HGH on behalf of a Chinese company. He was charged guilty for selling the drugs for Shandong Kexing Bioproducts Company.
United States Anti Doping Agency states, "This non-analytical anti-doping rule violation is a result of Papp distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs on behalf of a Chinese drug distributor via the Internet for which he was also charged by the US
Attorney's Office for violations of federal law".
A total number of 187 international athletes bought the performance enhancing drugs during 2006 and 2007.
Athletes from different sports, including cycling, were involved in the transaction, with Papp serving as a middle man.
It will be interesting to see if the American cyclist serves any time in prison. He will certainly miss appearances on his bike at the international scene.
The eight-year ban might also end Joe Papp’s career in a sad way, considering the fact that he will turn 40 by the time his current ban is over.
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