Jonathan Tiernan-Locke requests delay in anti-doping hearing in Team Sky rider's ongoing bid to clear his name

Tiernan-Locke's anti-doping case has been postponed until the summer after the Devon rider withdrew from the Road World Championships in September last year

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (GETTY IMAGES)

Team Sky cyclist Jonathan Tiernan-Locke has requested a delay in the hearing which will determine his fate, UK Anti-Doping has announced.

Tiernan-Locke, who won the 2012 Tour of Britain before joining Team Sky, vehemently denies any wrongdoing after the UCI last December opened disciplinary proceedings, to be carried out by UKAD, over alleged doping by the Devon rider.

Discrepancies in the 29-year-old's biological passport data demonstrated an anti-doping violation, according to cycling's world governing body, and he was withdrawn from duties with Team Sky until a decision is made in the disciplinary process.

A UKAD statement read: "The hearing of the anti-doping case against Mr Jonathan Tiernan-Locke has been postponed until the summer. This is at the athlete's request.

"Proceedings are confidential until their conclusion, as dictated by the anti-doping rules.

"To protect the rights of all involved and the integrity of the process, we are unable to comment further or disclose exact time-frames, which are in any event changeable depending on outcomes.

"However, as soon as appropriate we will publish the decision on our website."

UKAD chief executive Andy Parkinson suggested the hearing was imminent in March for a case which began last September after his withdrawal from the Great Britain team for the Road World Championships when it was revealed he was under investigation by the UCI.

Now Tiernan-Locke's bid to clear his name goes on.

PA