Jon Tiernan-Locke anti-doping hearing postponed until the summer

The hearing into the anti-doping case of Sky rider Jon Tiernan-Locke has been postponed until the summer, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed today.

Disciplinary action against the Sky rider was requested by the UCI in December after his biological passport data from 2013 was found to contain anomalies.

However, the case of the 29-year-old Devonian will now be delayed until the summer following a request from the 2012 Tour of Britain winner. It is believed a sample provided around the time of this victory was what triggered an investigation into his data.

A statement from UKAD read:

“The hearing of the anti-doping case against Mr Jonathan Tiernan-Locke has been postponed until the summer.  This is at the athlete’s request. Proceedings are confidential until their conclusion, as dictated by the Anti-Doping Rules.  To protect the rights of all involved and the integrity of the process, we are unable to comment further or disclose exact timeframes, which are in any event changeable depending on outcomes.  However, as soon as appropriate we will publish the decision on our website.”

Tiernan-Locke has not raced since September 15 last year, when he failed to finish the GP de Montréal World Tour event in Canada. Sky suspended him from racing, as well as taking part in "any team activities" following the start of disciplinary proceedings.

The former Rapha Condor-Sharp and Endura racing rider denies the charges.