• Cycling

Tiernan-Locke facing UCI doping inquiry

In September last year Jonathan Tiernan-Locke became the first British rider to win the Tour of Britain since 1993 © PA Photos

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The International Cycling Union (UCI) have asked Team Sky rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke to explain a potential discrepancy in his biological passport data.

The Sunday Times report that the 28-year-old Briton, who pulled out of the Road World Championships on Thursday, has been notified of his suspect blood values and is believed to have three weeks to reply.

Team Sky say Tiernan-Locke will not race again "while his response to the UCI is prepared" and urge he be allowed to do so "in private and without prejudice".

Tiernan-Locke - who joined Team Sky last October - originally put his withdrawal from the Road World Championships down to a lack of form.

It is reported that the 2012 Tour of Britain winner's suspect blood values date back to September 2012.

"We have no doubts over his performance, behaviour or tests at Team Sky and understand any anomaly is in readings taken before he joined the team," Team Sky's statement continued.

Biological passports are electronic records collating cyclists' urine and blood test results over a period of time.

New UCI president Brian Cookson said: "It's important that it [the inquiry] is handled properly and with integrity under the processes that are laid down. I certainly won't be interfering in it.

"I am concerned that it's leaked out because I don't think this information should be in the public domain while someone is being questioned. That's not the same at all as them being guilty and let's see what happens."

Tiernan-Locke claimed overall wins in the Tour Mediterraneen, Tour du Haut Var and Tour Alsace riding for Endura Racing in the 2012 season.

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