Jason Kenny

FRENCH track cyclist and six-time world champion Gregory Bauge has been stripped of his world championship in a move that has elevated Great Britain’s Jason Kenny to world champion.

The move comes after cycling’s world governing body announced that Bauge was to lose his title for an anti-doping infringement.

Bauge beat Kenny, from Bolton, to gold at the Track Cycling World Championships in Holland last March but was issued with a one-year back-dated suspension from December 23, 2010 to December 22, 2011 for a “violation of article 21.4 of the UCI Anti-doping Regulation” (two breaches of applicable requirements regarding rider availability and one missed test in 18 months).

A statement from the International Cycling Union (the UCI) read: “The UCI today informed the FFC (Federation Francaise de Cyclisme) that all the results obtained by the rider and by any team of which he was a member during that period have been nullified by this decision.

“The UCI is therefore obliged to correct the results of the events in which Gregory Bauge participated during this period.

“As a consequence, the rider and the French team lose their individual sprint and team sprint titles won at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in March 2011.”

With Kenny being awarded the gold, Sir Chris Hoy looks set to be awarded silver after his original third-placed finish.

Germany trio Rene Enders, Maximilian Levy and Stefan Nimke are set to take the team sprint crown from France, as France’s Michael D’Almeida and Kevin Sireau will lose their title as a result of being partnered by Bauge.

Britain’s Kenny, Hoy and Matt Crampton are set to be promoted from bronze to silver, with Australia poised to be awarded third place.