Former Dutch rider Boogerd handed two year ban for doping

PARIS (Reuters) - Dutch former rider Michael Boogerd has been banned for two years for anti-doping violations during his career, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Wednesday. "The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces today that Michael Boogerd has been sanctioned with a two years’ ineligibility for the anti-doping rule violations he committed during his cycling career," the UCI said in a statement "The ban is effective until 21 December 2017." In 2013, Boogerd admitted to doping during his career between 1997 and 2007. He retired in 2007 after winning the Amstel Gold race one-day classic in 1999, Paris-Nice the same year as well as two Tour de France stages in 1996 and 2002. The ban means that he will lose his job as sports director with Dutch team Roompot Oranje Peloton. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Alan Baldwin)