Dutch cyclist Gert-Jan Theunisse was suspended by...

Dutch cyclist Gert-Jan Theunisse was suspended by the Royal Netherlands Cycling Federation for twice using illegal stimulants in a two-year period. The six-month suspension will prevent Theunisse from riding in this year’s Tour de France, in which he was considered a major contender.

Earlier this year, Theunisse tested positive after a race in Belgium, but he was not penalized under the two-violation rule because the French cycling federation had dismissed a stimulant-abuse case against him stemming from the 1988 Tour de France. That dismissal was reversed this week.