Mark Roland

September 20th, 2008 filed in Cycling

Mark Roland, an Australian cyclist, has been suspended for two years for using human growth hormone by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority. Investigators for the ASADA found that Roland used HGH twice in 2003, and he was also found to have used the anabolic steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (easy for us to say) three times during 2003 and 2004. This is a significant suspension as it relied solely on evidence obtained by investigators rather than a positive test.

The West Australian published this quote from ASADA Chairman Richard Ings :

“This sanction clearly illustrates that athletes do not need to return a positive test to be found to have violated anti-doping rules. In this case, ASADA investigators, working in partnership with other government agencies, identified and prosecuted a serious doping violation that could not have been detected through normal testing procedures.”

Roland, who competed professionally with the 2003 Giant Asia Racing Team won a criterium of the 2003 Southbank Grand-Prix Cycling Classic on December 7th, 2003. As a result of the investigation, the 30-year-old Roland will forfeit all competition results from his first use of HGH in 2003 until 2008, and will be eligible to return to the sport in 2010.