Bernhard Kohl

Who is Bernhard Kohl?

Bernhard Kohl is an Austrian former professional road bicycle racer and recognized climbing specialist. After the Gerolsteiner team announced they would not be in existence for the 2009 season, Kohl signed with UCI ProTeam Silence-Lotto for three years. His biggest career achievements include becoming the Austrian national road race champion, finishing third place overall in the Dauphiné Libéré and winning the polka dot jersey as the best climber in the 2008 Tour de France. He was 73 seconds behind winner Carlos Sastre at the completion of the event, finishing in third place in the General classification. He was banned from the sport for two years after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2008. On 25 May 2009, he announced his retirement from the sport, claiming that it is "impossible to win without doping" in international cycling.