Christian Pfannberger

Christian Pfannberger (born 9 December 1979) is an Austrian former professional road racing cyclist. He was a two-time Austrian national road-race champion (2007 and 2008).[1] Other achievements included winning the U23 National Championship in 2001 and the Giro del Capo, a stage race in South Africa in 2008. In spring 2008 he had top 10 finishes in all three of the Ardennes classics. Pfannberger was handed a lifetime ban by the Austrian National Anti-Doping Agency for his second doping violation.

Christian Pfannberger
Personal information
Full nameChristian Pfannberger
Born (1979-12-09) 9 December 1979
Judenburg, Austria
Team information
Current teamNone
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClassics specialist
Professional teams
2002Nurnberger Versicherung
2003Volksbank–Ideal
2004eD'System-ZVVZ
2006–2007Elk Haus–Simplon
2008Barloworld
2009Team Katusha
Major wins
National Road Race Champion (2007, 2008)

Doping

Pfannberger served a two-year suspension between 2004 and 2006 for a positive testosterone test.[2] In May 2009, he was suspended by Team Katusha pending clarification of a non-negative doping test at an out-of-competition control in March of that year.[3] He had been on Katusha's preliminary start list for the 2009 Giro d'Italia, but he was suspended and replaced by Alexander Serov when news of the positive test broke.[4]

On 29 June, it was announced that his B sample had also tested positive, and that he would face a hearing in the next eight weeks which could result in Pfannberger being suspended for a period ranging from eight years to a lifetime ban.[2]

Pfannberger was subsequently handed a lifetime ban by the Austrian National Anti-Doping Agency for his second doping violation. He has consistently maintained that he has never doped, and will challenge the lifetime ban.[5]

Major achievements
2001
(U23) National Road Race Champion
(U23) Thüringen-Rundfahrt & 1 stage
2006
3rd Overall, Tour of Austria
1st, Stage 3
2007
National Road Race Champion
2008 – Barloworld
1st, Overall, Giro del Capo
1st, Stage 1
6th, Amstel Gold Race
9th, La Flèche Wallonne
5th, Liège–Bastogne–Liège
National Road Race Champion
8th, 2008 UCI Road World Championships
2009
4th, GP Miguel Indurain
9th, Amstel Gold Race

References
  1. "National Championship, Road, Elite, Austria (Men)". Cycling Archives. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  2. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pfannbergers-b-sample-positive-for-epo
  3. http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may06news3
  4. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-hopeful-pfannberger-suspended-by-katusha
  5. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lifelong-ban-for-pfannberger-after-second-doping-violation
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