GWENT cycling ace Julian Winn has hit out at British Olympic Association bosses for 'dragging up the past' and announcing last week that he had been successful in an appeal on a drug ban.

Winn, the 2002 National Road Race champion, was found to have committed a doping offence by the Welsh Cycling Union and the British Cycling Federation three years ago after testing positive for the substance ephedrine.

The 31-year-old was given a lifetime ban from the Olympics as well as being handed a three month riding ban, suspended for two years.

But, in a statement last week, the BOA said they were commuting Winn's Olympic sentence and cleared the way for him to ride in Athens this summer.

The Abergavenny ace, however, was angry with the announcement being made at all.

He blasted: "I expected to be cleared to ride anyway.

"It's not an issue to me and there's no story there but it's been made a story by the BOA.

"There was no need to have an annoucement about this.

"It's dragging up the past and I cannot see the logic in it.

"They have to do their research and I would rather they made an annnoucement when I make the Olympic team. It was an issue three years ago but not now."

BOA chief executive Simon Clegg said that the Olympic ban was still an effective deterent to all sportmen and women.

He said: "The British Olympic Association continues to believe that its lifetime ban for anyone found guilty of a doping offence sends out the strongest possible message to everyone in sport that we at the BOA will not tolerate the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

"These decisions now clear the way for Julian Winn to seek selection in the road cycling events and John Evans to seek nomination as a cycling team official."

Winn will be re-mounting his bike this weekend to compete in his first race since breaking a finger in five places a month ago.

He rides in the Milk Ras - the Tour of Ireland - all next week but expects to be a bit rusty after his enforced lay-off.

He said: " I'm training hard and I'm looking forward to getting back on my bike and riding in a race."