Jonathan Tiernan-Locke to return to racing in February as doping ban expires

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke says that he will make a low-key return to bike racing in February, after his two-year ban for doping expired at the end of December 2015.

Tiernan-Locke will take part in the Primavera Road Race near his home in Devon on Sunday, February 28, according to the Torquay Herald Express newspaper.

The 31-year-old from Plymouth was banned for two years after irregularities were detected in his anti-doping biological passport after a test prior to the 2012 World Championships.

In addition to the two-year suspension from competition, Tiernan-Locke was stripped of his 2012 Tour of Britain win and was sacked from Team Sky, who had signed him for 2013 from the Endura squad.

His victories in the 2012 Tour Alsace and Tour du Haut Var remain on his palmares.

Tiernan-Locke has continued to maintain his innocence, and initially blamed the adverse test result on a night of heavy drinking. His subsequent appeal to UK Anti-Doping was rejected.

Several teams had reportedly been interested in signing Tiernan-Locke for 2016, but he has said that – for now – he will race as an independent.

>>> Tiernan-Locke turns down pro team offers but may race for himself in 2016

“I am looking forward to bumping into people I haven’t seen since I last rode at this level six or seven years ago,” Tiernan-Locke said.

“I want to enjoy racing again, first and foremost, see what sort of form I’m in and then take it from there.”