Christian Pfannberger

Last updated
Christian Pfannberger
ELKcpfannbergerDTOUR07.jpg
Pfannberger in 2007
Personal information
Full nameChristian Pfannberger
Born (1979-12-09) 9 December 1979 (age 45)
Judenburg, Austria
Team information
Current teamNone
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClassics specialist
Professional teams
2002Nurnberger Versicherung
2003 Volksbank–Ideal
2004eD'System-ZVVZ
20062007 Elk Haus–Simplon
2008 Barloworld
2009 Team Katusha
Major wins
National Road Race Champion (2007, 2008)

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.

Contents

Doping

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

2001
(U23) MaillotAustria.PNG National Road Race Champion
(U23) Thüringen-Rundfahrt & 1 stage
2006
3rd Overall, Tour of Austria
1st, Stage 3
2007
MaillotAustria.PNG 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
MaillotAustria.PNG National Road Race Champion
8th, 2008 UCI Road World Championships
2009
4th, GP Miguel Indurain
9th, Amstel Gold Race

References

  1. "National Championship, Road, Elite, Austria (Men)". Cycling Archives. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Pfannberger's B-Sample positive for EPO". 29 June 2009.
  3. "www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling". autobus.cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  4. "Giro hopeful Pfannberger suspended by Katusha". 6 May 2009.
  5. "Lifelong ban for Pfannberger after second doping violation". 21 November 2009.