CYCLING: Former national champion David McCann has been banned for six months following a positive test for the substance Norandrosterone. The Volksbank Ideal professional was given a random urine test on June 16th during the Tour of Austria, which returned a reading above the permitted level of the substance.

After notification of his A sample, the Belfastman requested a counter analysis which was obtained from the Union Cycliste Internationale approved laboratory in Siebersdorf in Austria. The B sample confirmed the original finding and McCann attended a Cycling Ireland hearing on August 29th, which resulted in the suspension and a fine of 2000 Swiss francs.

Excluding the months during the winter off-season, the sanction means he will be unable to compete until May 29th next year.

Yesterday McCann insisted that he had never knowingly taken a banned substance. "I am hugely disappointed by the news," he said. "I have always competed clean. I have no idea why it (Norandrosterone) was in my system but think the most likely source was contamination of a nutritional supplement I was using at the time. I am considering lodging an appeal about this. I feel it is a big injustice."

Norandrosterone is a metabolite of the steroid nandrolone, which has been behind a number of high-profile positives recently.