Niklas Axelsson

Niklas Axelsson (born 15 May 1972) is a Swedish former professional road racing cyclist. Axelsson finished sixth during the 1999 Giro d'Italia and third in the 2000 edition of Giro di Lombardia. He is banned from sports for life for doping.

Doping Axelsson tested positive for EPO in the 2001 UCI Road World Championships in Lisbon and later admitted his guilt. He was suspended for four years by the Swedish Cycling Federation (SCF) but made an early comeback in 2004. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2007 but made a complete recovery.

In 2010 it was found that his September 2009 A sample was positive for EPO. On 7 July 2010, the B sample was deemed positive and the Swedish Cycling Federation suspended Axelsson for life.

Major results

1990 1st Road race, National Junior Road Championships 1992 3rd Overall Flèche du Sud 1995 1st Stage 9 Rapport Toer 6th Overall Peace Race 1998 3rd Overall Tour de Langkawi 7th Overall Vuelta a Aragon 1999 National Road Championships 3rd Road race 3rd Time trial 4th Milano–Torino 6th Overall Giro d'Italia 6th Coppa Sabatini 2000 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino 3rd Giro di Lombardia 3rd Scandinavian Open Time Trial 5th Time trial, National Road Championships 2001 2nd Road race, National Road Championships 4th GP de Fourmies 7th Overall Tour de Wallonie 1st Stage 6 8th Overall Tour de Langkawi 9th Giro di Lombardia 10th GP du canton d'Argovie 2004 9th Firenze–Pistoia 2006 2nd Giro di Romagna 8th GP Industria Artigianato e Commercio Carnaghese 2007 3rd GP Industria Artigianato e Commercio Carnaghese 4th GP Nobili Rubinetterie 2008 2nd Road race, National Road Championships 3rd Overall Vuelta a La Rioja 4th Overall Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali 1st Stage 2 4th GP Triberg-Schwarzwald 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 7th Monte Paschi Eroica 9th Overall Giro della Provincia di reggio Calabria 10th Tour du Finistère 2009 7th Overall Tour of Qinghai Lake 8th GP Costa Degli Etruschi