PARIS (AP) — Former Olympic cycling champion Jeannie Longo has withdrawn from the Road World Championships following her husband’s suspension pending disciplinary action over allegations he bought the performance-enhancing substance EPO.
The French Cycling Federation welcomed Longo’s decision Wednesday, saying it “allows the French cycling team to compete in the best possible conditions.”
The 52-year-old Longo won the road race gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She already faced a disciplinary hearing over her failure to report her location for doping tests on three occasions.
That case is unrelated to a report in sports daily l’Equipe that husband Patrice Ciprelli bought EPO in 2007. The French Cycling Federation suspended Ciprelli on Tuesday.
