Two-time U.S. Olympic track cyclist Bobby Lea has been banned until December 2016 for a positive drug test but will appeal, hoping to have his ban end in March, according to Bicycling magazine.
Lea, the only U.S. men’s track cyclist to compete in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, tested positive for oxycodone on Aug. 8 and was banned for 16 months starting Sept. 10.
Lea explained in a 619-word leter on his website Thursday.
“On the night of August 7th, in a state of post-race exhaustion and having run out of my normal sleep aid, I made the poor choice to take my prescription Percocet hoping it would help me rest,” Lea said on his website.