British Masters Champion Andy Hastings given four-year doping ban

British Masters Road Race Champion Andy Hastings has been given a four-year ban by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) after testing positive earlier this year.

Hastings tested positive for anabolic steriods Metenolone and Stanozolol at the National Team Time Trial Championships, organised by the High Wycombe Cycling Club on behalf of Cycling Time Trials (CTT), on May 30. The following day, he won the British Cycling Masters title in the 35 to 39 age group.

Although details of his ban were only released on Thursday, Hastings’s ban has been backdated to begin on May 30, 2015.

Cycling Weekly has contacted Hastings, who declined to comment.

His Richardsons-Trek team suspended him upon notification of the positive sample earlier in the year; there are no indications that the team were complicit in Hastings’ wrongdoing.

Hastings’s positive was first flagged in the recent CTT annual report for 2015, which stated that at one rider had provided a positive sample at an event this year, with one other sample showing a “possible” violation.

However, it appears that another rider could also be banned by UKAD after CTT National Secretary Nick Sharpe told Cycling Weekly earlier this week that “two positive tests” had been identified.

Hastings' ban will expire at the end of May 2019.