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
Pfannberger in 2007
Personal information
Full nameChristian Pfannberger
Born (1979-12-09) 9 December 1979 (age 44)
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

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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

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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

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  1. ^ "National Championship, Road, Elite, Austria (Men)". Cycling Archives. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Pfannberger's B-Sample positive for EPO". 29 June 2009.
  3. ^ http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may06news3 [bare URL]
  4. ^ "Giro hopeful Pfannberger suspended by Katusha". 6 May 2009.
  5. ^ "Lifelong ban for Pfannberger after second doping violation". 21 November 2009.
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