Two amateur riders, aged 56 and 57, handed doping bans for refusing to provide samples

Two masters riders from the United States have been given doping bans after they refused to provide samples to doping control officers.

David Less, 56 from Hamburg, New York, and Craig Webb, 57 from Traverse City, Michigan, were banned by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in separate cases with, Less receiving a two year sanction and Webb a four year sanction.

David Less refused to provide a sample to a doping control officer in an out-of-competition test on October 13, 2017. He accepted his two-year sanction, with USADA reducing the sanction from the default sanction of four years due to undisclosed "mitigating factors".

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"Less qualified for a sanction reduction from the default four-year period of ineligibility to a two-year period of ineligibility due to mitigating factors," read a statement from USADA.

"Less’s two-year period of ineligibility began on October 13, 2017, and Less has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to October 13, 2017, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes."

Competing primarily in cyclocross, Less's refusal to provide a sample came between his victory in the West Falls Cyclocross Race, and a sixth place finish in the Holimont Cyclocross Race, an event promoted by Less's home club.

Webb was banned for four years after he refused to provide a sample following an age-group victory in the 2017 Bell’s Iceman Cometh Challenge on November 4, 2017.

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"Webb’s four-year period of ineligibility began on November 4, 2017, the date he refused to provide a sample," read a USADA statement.

"In addition, Webb has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to November 4, 2017, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes."

The sanctions of Less and Webb are the latest in a busy few days for USADA, which last week also banned 41-year-old amateur Jennifer Schumm for four years after she tested positive for testosterone, which she claimed she was taking for "health reasons" but did not have a TUE.