Franck Bonnamour Banned: Athlete Biological Passport Case
Former Pro Cyclist Franck Bonnamour Banned Four Years in Doping Case
Table of Contents
A Shadow Over a Career Cut Short
Former professional cyclist Franck Bonnamour has been handed a four-year ban from competition by the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal, effectively ending what was already a retired career.The decision, announced on Thursday, stems from abnormalities detected in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) dating back to 2022, not a positive test for a prohibited substance. The suspension is retroactive, beginning February 5, 2024, and will conclude on February 4, 2028.
The Biological Passport and Indirect Evidence
The Athlete Biological Passport, introduced by the UCI, is a key tool in the fight against doping. It monitors an athlete’s blood values over time, establishing a baseline and flagging any unusual fluctuations that could indicate illicit practices like blood doping or the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Unlike a direct positive test,an ABP anomaly requires the UCI to build a case based on indirect evidence,demonstrating that the changes are not attributable to legitimate physiological factors.The UCI stated the Tribunal found Bonnamour committed an ADRV due to the unexplained abnormality.
Bonnamour completed the 2022 tour de France while riding for B&B Hotels-KTM. Reports indicate the initial scrutiny focused on a test taken during the penultimate stage of the race, where Bonnamour was reportedly experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and dehydration, and also an out-of-competition test from October 2018 (Cyclingnews).
Financial Strain and retirement
Initially,Bonnamour contested the charges,maintaining his innocence. However, the legal battle proved financially draining. In November 2024,he announced his retirement from professional cycling and ceased his fight against the ban,citing the prohibitive costs of continued legal proceedings. “It’s too costly in financial terms, so I’m stopping,” Bonnamour told Ouest-France. “We had to start proceedings before the UCI tribunal before going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport… I can’t afford to lose everything, and that’s holding me back financially.”
Prior to his retirement, Bonnamour was under contract with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, who terminated his contract in March 2024, citing concerns related to the ongoing investigation, which stemmed from checks conducted before his arrival with the team on January 1, 2023.