French cyclist faces suspended prison sentence and €5,000 fine in doping trial

French former pro cyclist Marion Sicot is facing an 18-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of €5,000 (£4,166 / $5,265) in a doping trial that began on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old, who was banned after testing positive for EPO in 2019, is on trial in France for import and possession of doping products.

During the first day of the trial, the court heard that Sicot had taken prohibited substances, notably EPO and the fat-burning drug clenbuterol, between 2016 and 2019, during which time she rode for Belgian UCI team Dotcini-Van Eyck Sport.

Sicot revealed she bought the products online, and through a friend, for between €500 and €1,200. Her friend, a former semi-pro cyclist, also spoke in court, where he admitted to importing and possessing doping products.

On the trial's opening day in Montargis, Sicot said that doping is "an integral part of this sport", even if there was "no personal gain" for her.

"I regret cheating and lying. I dirtied my sport," she said. "I took the easy way out."

In 2019, three days before the French National Road Championships, the then 27-year-old injected herself with erythropoietin (EPO), a drug famous for its use in the 1990s and 2000s. Sicot finished ninth in the event, but returned a positive test and received a reduced two-year ban, despite denying using the drug.

It was later decided to extend her ban to the full four-year period, which lasted until March this year.

"Marion Sicot has already paid, heavily, through her suspension which cost her her sporting career," her lawyer said on Wednesday.

The prosecution in the case has suggested an 18-month suspended prison sentence for the former cyclist, as well as a €5,000 fine.

Sicot’s friend is also on trial, facing the same prison sentence and a €10,000 fine. There is also a doctor on trial in the case, suspected of forging prescriptions for EPO, and facing an 18-month suspended prison sentence, as well as a fine of €20,000. The doctor has denied the claims.

The court’s ruling will take place on 22 January 2025.

Anti-doping in France is managed by the independent body Agence Française de Lutte Contre le Dopage (AFLD). According to the country’s law, use of doping substances is not a punishable offence, but the trafficking and possession of such substances is.

Sicot rode her last professional bike race in July 2019. She has spent recent years coaching and competing in triathlons.