Saxo-Tinkoff rider Michael Rogers is a three-time world time trial champion and Olympic bronze medalist.

Story highlights

Australian cyclist Michael Rogers provisionally suspended by UCI on doping charges

The 33-year-old Saxo-Tinkoff rider has three world time trial titles to his name

Rogers is formerly of Team Sky and was a part of Bradley Wiggins' Tour de France win

Team Sky Jonathan Tiernan-Locke faces disciplinary proceedings on doping charges

CNN  — 

He played a huge part in propelling Bradley Wiggins to Tour de France glory but now Michael Rogers is in the dock on doping charges.

The Australian has been provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union (UCI) over a sample he gave at a road race in Japan back in October.

Rogers, a three-time world road race champion and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, left Team Sky for Saxo-Tinkoff prior to the start of the 2013 season.

The 33-year-old’s team claimed the sample collected at the Japan Cup which contained clenbuterol – that helps build muscle and burn fat – came from a contaminated food source.

Read: Armstrong returns Olympics medal

News of Rogers’ suspension comes just a day after Team Sky rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke was told he was facing disciplinary proceedings after analysis of his biological passport showed an anti-doping violation.

A statement issued by the UCI read: “The UCI advised Australian rider Michael Rogers that he is provisionally suspended.

“The decision was made in response to a report from the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo indicating an adverse analytical finding of clenbuterol in a urine sample collected from him in a test during the Japan Cup Cycle Road Race on 20 October 2013.

“The provisional suspension of Mr. Michael Rogers remains in force until a hearing panel convened by his national federation determines whether he has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.”

“Mr. Rogers has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample.”

Rogers was a key member of the group that led Wiggins to his maiden Tour de France win in 2012 – the first ever by a British cyclist.

He has been professional since 2001 and landed a bronze medal in the time trial at the Athens Olympics of 2004 when Tyler Hamilton was disqualified.

Rogers is a teammate of Alberto Contador at Danish outfit Saxo-Tinkoff. The Spaniard was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title after testing positive for clenbuterol.

Read: Cycling faces watershed of credibility

Contador fought the ban and took his case to the Court for Arbitration in Sport but failed to overturn his disqualification from the 2010 Tour and a two-year backdated ban.

A statement released by Saxo-Tinkoff on Wednesday read: “Michael Rogers immediately informed Saxo-Tinkoff’s management about the notification from the UCI.

“The Australian explained to the team management that he never ingested the substance knowingly nor deliberately and fears that the adverse analytical finding origins from a contaminated food source.”

On Tuesday the UCI said British rider Tiernan-Locke, who won the 2012 Tour of Britain, would now be subject to disciplinary proceedings from his national federation after an issue with his biological passport.

The 28-year-old vehemently denies any wrong doing while Team Sky said they understood “the violation was highlighted by an anomaly in his Biological Passport, in a reading taken before he signed for this team.”