The husband of French cycling great Jeannie Longo was handed a one year suspended jail term on Thursday for importing banned blood booster EPO.
Patrice Ciprelli, who also coached the 58-year-old Longo, was found guilty by a court in the south-eastern French city of Grenoble of smuggling prohibited goods.
Ciprelli ordered 33 boxes or flasks of erythropoietine (EPO) over the internet for (2,920 euros) $3,110 between 2008 and 2011.
He admitted buying EPO since 2007, but insisted it was for his own, personal use.
Ciprelli was also fined 5,800 euros.
Longo, once considered among the greatest woman cyclists of all time, won 59 national titles, 13 world titles and an Olympic gold in road racing in 1996.
She has however seen her reputation tainted by doping allegations. – Agence France-Presse
