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London - Team Sky race coach Bobby Julich was forced to resign on Thursday after admitting he had taken a banned substance during his riding career, the British cycling outfit confirmed.
In the aftermath of the Lance Armstrong scandal, Sky, the team of reigning Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, confirmed their zero-tolerance approach to drugs and asked all staff to sign a statement pledging no previous involvement in doping.
And that stance has forced Julich, who had been Sky's race coach for two years, to quit after he disclosed having taken a banned substance in his past as a professional rider in the late 1990s.
Team principal Dave Brailsford said: "Bobby has shown courage in admitting to the errors he made long before his time with Team Sky. We understand that this is a difficult step for him and we've done our best to support him.
"It's important to emphasise that there have been no doubts about his work with us or his approach as a coach.
"He has done a good job and been a good colleague during his two years with us. Bobby has our best wishes for the future.
"We've made clear our commitment to being a clean team and been open about the steps we're taking. Although it's never easy to part, we believe this is the right thing to do."
Julich's exit came just 24 hours after Tour de France runner-up Chris Froome, who also rides for Sky, admitted he feared several members of the team would lose their jobs as a result of an investigation into past drug use.
"That's going to be part of the losses the team has to make to be able to go forward," Froome told BBC Sport.
