Skip to main content

Sky rider banned 2 years, fired by team for doping

By WTOP Staff

JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — Sky Team principal Dave Brailsford feels personally “let down” after investing time and resources in British cyclist Jonathan Tiernan-Locke, who was suspended for two years and fired by the team on Thursday for doping.

Tiernan-Locke was banned for discrepancies in his biological passport, which tracks a rider’s blood profile over time to look for evidence of doping, the International Cycling Union said.

Sky terminated his contract after receiving the UCI’s confirmation of the doping offense.

Shortly after the Tour de France 12th stage, which ended in the southeastern city of Saint-Etienne, Brailsford stepped out of a car to speak to reporters near the team bus.

“When somebody knows clearly what your stance is, and they disregard it, and come all the same then, yeah, you do feel let down by them, there’s no denying it,” he said. “Now that the process has been concluded, we terminated his contract with immediate effect.”

The UCI announced in December 2013 that Tiernan-Locke faced a disciplinary hearing after analysis of his biological passport showed “use of prohibited substances and/or methods.”

His suspension was listed on Thursday on the UCI website. His ban lasts through Dec. 31, 2015.

Tiernan-Locke won the Tour of Britain in 2012 and was considered the next big star in British cycling.

Team Sky has produced the last two Tour de France champions, British riders Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Chris Froome in 2013.

“Our ambition is clear. It is to do it clean, and we have done. We’re a British team, we want to win the Tour de France with a clean British rider, which we’ve done,” Brailsford said. “We wanted to create a cycling revolution, which we’ve done. A guy’s cheated before he’s got to our team, and that process is now concluded and, quite clearly, there is no place for him on our team.”

The suspicious readings in Tiernan-Locke’s biological passport were taken in September 2012, shortly before he signed a two-year contract with Team Sky and three months before his first race with the team.

“We know the violation was before he joined Team Sky … there’s no place for cheats in this sport and certainly not on Team Sky,” Brailsford said. “Our action is the inevitable outcome of a violation. This is a team that trains, races, and wins clean.”

Sky said Tiernan-Locke’s biological passport was not reviewed until the spring of 2013, once anti-doping authorities collected enough readings.

Tiernan-Locke had not raced for the team since September 2013 and had not taken part in any team activities since he was formally notified of the violation last Dec. 16.

Asked if he was confident Tiernan-Locke did not dope while on his team, Brailsford said “there’s nothing that we could see in the data to suggest it” adding that “we scrutinise in real detail all the information we’ve got and our monitoring is second to none.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote