AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Dutch mountainbiker Bas van Dooren retired Thursday after he was suspended for one year for testing positive for the endurance-enhancing drug EPO.

Van Dooren, who won World Cup races in 1999 and 2000, admitted he used the drug to prepare himself for the world championships in September. He finished 11th.

"I needed a great result to extend my career,'' he told the AD newspaper.

He said he found EPO information on the Internet and paid $400 for the drug.

At the 2000 Olympics, Van Dooren was in place for a bronze medal when a flat tire ended his challenge.

He was suspended for all of 2003 and fined $1,375.

"They'll never see me again in mountain biking,'' he said.