Cycling Australia official resigns over doping

Cycling Australia announced on Friday that its vice president, Stephen Hodge, has stepped down after admitting taking performance-enhancing drugs during his professional career.

Canberra: Cycling Australia (CA) announced on Friday that its vice president, Stephen Hodge, has stepped down after admitting taking performance-enhancing drugs during his professional career.

According to CA, Hodge wrote to the board and members to admitted taking drugs. "In light of the current circumstances, Stephen has made it clear he doesn`t want a mistake he made two decades ago to affect the work of Cycling Australia to take the sport forward," read a statement released by CA President Klaus Mueller. Turning professional in 1987, Hodge raced in the Europe until his retirement at the end of 1996, and joined the board as the chair of the Athlete`s Commission in June 1999 before being elected vice president in 2007. "I am sorry I did it. It was wrong. I apologise unreservedly to CA, my family, friends, colleagues and cycling fans," he said in his resignation letter. IANS