Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal admits to doping 'over decade ago'

Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal has admitted that he had chosen the 'wrong path' and doped 'more than 10 years ago'.

The statement came in response to allegations by former Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen, who claimed that he taught Hesjedal how to take the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) in 2003.

Rasmussen was reportedly kicked out of his team in 2007 for having lied about his whereabouts to doping authorities.

According to Sport24, Hesjedal, who has joined UCI team Garmin-Sharp, admitted that although he 'lived and loved' the sport, he had chosen to take the wrong path more than a decade ago by doping, adding that although those 'mistakes' were short-lived, he has regretted committing them ever since.

Hesjedal further said he believes that being truthful will help the sport continue to move forward, adding that he was open and honest about his past when he was contacted by anti-doping authorities over a year ago.

The report mentioned that the Canadian was one of several riders - past and present - and managers to be called on to testify by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in the case against Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping.