Brajkovic will not fight doping suspension
Janez Brajkovic says failed anti-doping test was due to tainted supplement, opens up about being bullied during his pro career.
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Former Critérium du Dauphiné winner Janez Brajkovic will not contest a doping suspension for stimulant Methylhexaneamine and has accepted a 10-month suspension, according to a post on his blog Monday.
The 35-year-old Slovenian wrote:
“I could’ve not accepted [the suspension] and it would go forward to anti-doping tribunal, starting the whole process from scratch. Honestly, I just didn’t have more energy or money to fight it, so I accepted it. There are still some things that are going on and could reduce my suspension, but I just don’t want to wait anymore.”
He failed an anti-doping test conducted at Tour of Croatia on April 18.
Brajkovic went on to write that he believes the adverse analytical finding was due to a tainted supplement. The same company that made a meal-replacement powder he was using had also produced a pre-workout supplement containing Methylhexaneamine, according to Brajkovic.
Although he cannot prove with complete certainty that his supplement was contaminated in the production facility, he says the UCI accepted his explanation and issued a reduced ban of 10 months. Typically, first-time anti-doping violations result in four-year bans. His suspension will last until June 1, 2019.
Brajkovic has been racing professionally since 2005. Over the course of that time, he raced for Discovery Channel, Astana, RadioShack, UnitedHealthcare, Bahrain-Merida, and most recently, Continental team Adria Mobil. He does not have a team to race for in 2019.
In his personal blog post, he also revealed that his career had been a troubled one and that worse things have happened, compared to this doping suspension.
“In my career, I was bullied, didn’t fit in, because I didn’t go out with people to get lit to near death, I was choked during the Tour by a teammate, I was told I’m zero, nobody, worthless, right after I signed a contract. I was also told, I was gonna be fired and they’ll make sure I never ride again.”