Jason Kenny crowned world sprint champ as Bauge is banned

world track, track champs, 2011, mens sprint, bauge, kenny, hoy, colombia, points race, pendleton

Jason Kenny has been crowned 2011 world individual sprint champion following a retrospective ban imposed on Frenchman Gregory Bauge.

Bauge beat Kenny 2-0 in the gold medal final in Apeldoorn last March, but following a decision by the Fédération Française Cyclisme on November 8 to ban Bauge, the result has now been amended by the UCI.

It is Kenny's first world title. The young Brit is Olympic champion in the team sprint, but until now had never won a world title.

Sir Chris Hoy has moved up from the bronze medal position to silver. The French team has also been disqualified from the team sprint, in which they won gold. Germany move up to gold, Great Britain to silver and Australia to bronze.

Bauge missed one test and twice 'breached applicable requirements regarding rider availability' within an 18 month period, and has now been given a one-year back-dated ban from December 23, 2010 to December 22, 2011 by his national federation.

The decision by the French federation went largely un-noticed at the time, and when Bauge pulled out of the Cali world cup on Nov 30, staff on the French team told others that it was down to a back injury.

Kenny had not been informed of the decision before the UCI sent out it's press release today, so learnt of his victory when Cycling Weekly confirmed the news with his coach Iain Dyer. Kenny was midway through a three hour track training session when the amended result was confirmed, this coming after a two-hour gym session in the morning.

Although Kenny won't get to enjoy the plaudits that come from standing on the top step of the podium, the decision does help GB in the Olympic sprint qualification process. He will be given the gold medal and world champions jersey, although the UCI's track coordinator, Giles Peruzzi was unsure as to exactly how that would happen.

Bauge, who also won the 2009 and 2010 world sprint titles will be free to compete at the Beijing world cup next weekend, the world championships in Melbourne this April, and the London Olympics.

Sir Chris Hoy was the last Briton to win the men's individual sprint world title at the Manchester track worlds in 2008. Previous to Hoy, Reg Harris was the last Briton to win the title in 1954.

Related links

Jason Kenny: Rider Profile

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Simon Richardson
Magazine editor

Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.