German former professional rider Björn Thurau has been handed a nine-year and six month ban as well as having all his results from the last 11 years crossed out for violating anti-doping rules.
The grounds that the National Anti Doping Agency Germany (NADA) used were the following violations of anti-doping: the use or attempted use of prohibited substances and methods, possession of prohibited substances or methods, placing on the market or attempting to market prohibited substances and administration or attempt to administer prohibited substances.
All of the German's results from December 21, 2010, where the first anti-doping rule violations were suspected, all the way to March 9, 2021 have been wiped out and he has been banned from the sport for nine years and six months.
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The suspension began on August 19 2021, meaning the 33-year-old would be 42 when the ban ends. Until then, Thurau will not be allowed to be involved with any competition or sporting activity unless it is in authorised anti-doping prevention or rehabilitation programs.
Thurau rode for various teams over his 12-year career, including Europcar, Bora-Argon 18 (now Bora-Hansgrohe) and Wanty-Groupe Gobert (now Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), taking no wins but several top-10s in smaller races and mountain classifications.
He rode at the Giro d'Italia once with Europcar in 2014, but he did not finish the race. He did win the mountains jersey at the 2013 Tour of Luxembourg and the 2014 Tour de Suisse, but these results have since been taken away.
After retiring, Thurau joined GCN as a presenter on their German YouTube channel.
Thurau has not appealed this ruling so there will be no trial in front of the German Sports Arbitration Court or the International Sports Tribunal CAS. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) does still have the power to overturn the ban in principle, the ant-doping authority said.
The investigation was a joint one between the Swiss and German Anti-Doping Agencies with NADA coming to the final verdict on September 22, 2021.
