Cycling: The Belgian cyclist caught during competition in January with an electric motor hidden in one of her bikes has been banned for six years and fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,603.69), the sport’s governing body said yesterday. Femke Van den Driessche, 19, was found guilty of violating competition rules through “technological fraud” during the 2016 Cyclo-cross world championships, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said. It is the first time an elite rider has been punished for so-called “mechanical doping”.

Tennis: Rafael Nadal has begun legal proceedings against former French cabinet minister Roselyne Bachelot after she alleged that the Spaniard had failed a drug test. The 29-year-old issued a statement through his agent saying he had filed a case for defamation against Bachelot in the Paris law courts. Bachelot was health and sports minister in 2007-2010 and social affairs minister until 2012.

Golf: Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, of South Africa, has opted out of this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, joining a fast-growing list of elite players that also includes compatriot Louis Oosthuizen. Sch-wartzel’s decision has been announced by team captain Gary Player who said it weakened the country’s chances of a medal in Brazil. “I am sad and disappointed that several top players have withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Rio,” Player said in a statement. Former Open winner Oosthuizen, 33, pulled out last week citing family commitments and a taxing schedule.