Ian McLeod of the MTN Energade cycling team has received a six month doping sanction for testing positive for a glucocorticosteroid, Deflazacort found in his urine after the South African Championships held in Klerksdorp on February 19.

The South African Institute of Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) released the findings and sentence was handed down to McLeod during his hearing on May 5.

McLeod suffers from chronic asthma which is controlled through the daily use of inhaled Symbicort (bronchodilator and glucocorticosteroid combination) for which he has received Therapeutic Use Exemptions from SAIDS and WADA for the past five years.

The prohibited substance found in his system does not form part of McLeod’s prescription medication.

He denies having intentionally taken the prohibited substance. His explanation, which was accepted by Saids during the hearing, is that it entered his body through the ingestion of contaminated sports drink bottles taken inadvertently from non-team sources during the race.

The team said it took the findings of Saids extremely seriously.