Christian Pfannberger
![]() Pfannberger in 2007  | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Pfannberger | 
| Born | 9 December 1979 Judenburg, Austria  | 
| Team information | |
| Current team | None | 
| Discipline | Road | 
| Role | Rider | 
| Rider type | Classics specialist | 
| Professional teams | |
| 2002 | Nurnberger Versicherung | 
| 2003 | Volksbank–Ideal | 
| 2004 | eD'System-ZVVZ | 
| 2006–2007 | Elk Haus–Simplon | 
| 2008 | Barloworld | 
| 2009 | Team Katusha | 
| Major wins | |
| National Road Race Champion (2007, 2008) | |
Christian Pfannberger (born 9 December 1979) is an Austrian former professional road racing cyclist. He was a two-time Austrian national road-race champion (2007 and 2008).[1] Other achievements included winning the U23 National Championship in 2001 and the Giro del Capo, a stage race in South Africa in 2008. In spring 2008 he had top 10 finishes in all three of the Ardennes classics. Pfannberger was handed a lifetime ban by the Austrian National Anti-Doping Agency for his second doping violation.
Doping
Pfannberger served a two-year suspension between 2004 and 2006 for a positive testosterone test.[2] In May 2009, he was suspended by Team Katusha pending clarification of a non-negative doping test at an out-of-competition control in March of that year.[3] He had been on Katusha's preliminary start list for the 2009 Giro d'Italia, but he was suspended and replaced by Alexander Serov when news of the positive test broke.[4]
On 29 June, it was announced that his B sample had also tested positive, and that he would face a hearing in the next eight weeks which could result in Pfannberger being suspended for a period ranging from eight years to a lifetime ban.[2]
Pfannberger was subsequently handed a lifetime ban by the Austrian National Anti-Doping Agency for his second doping violation. He has consistently maintained that he has never doped, and will challenge the lifetime ban.[5]
Major achievements
- 2001
 - (U23) 
National Road Race Champion
 - (U23) Thüringen-Rundfahrt & 1 stage
 
- 2006
 - 3rd Overall, Tour of Austria 
- 1st, Stage 3
 
 
- 2007
 National Road Race Champion
- 2008 – Barloworld
 - 1st, Overall, Giro del Capo 
- 1st, Stage 1
 
 - 6th, Amstel Gold Race
 - 9th, La Flèche Wallonne
 - 5th, Liège–Bastogne–Liège
 National Road Race Champion
- 8th, 2008 UCI Road World Championships
 
- 2009
 4th, GP Miguel Indurain9th, Amstel Gold Race
References
- ^ "National Championship, Road, Elite, Austria (Men)". Cycling Archives. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
 - ^ a b "Pfannberger's B-Sample positive for EPO". 29 June 2009.
 - ^ "www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling". autobus.cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
 - ^ "Giro hopeful Pfannberger suspended by Katusha". 6 May 2009.
 - ^ "Lifelong ban for Pfannberger after second doping violation". 21 November 2009.
 
External links
- Profile at Barloworld official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 2008-04-28)
 - Christian Pfannberger at Cycling Archives (archive)
 
