THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Argos-Shimano cycling team says it has suspended team leader Rudi Kemna for six months after he acknowledged using the banned blood booster EPO during his riding career.

The team said Thursday "Kemna does not want to dodge his own responsibility," and that Kemna considered it "appropriate to be struck off."

The six-month ban is in line with an agreement on sanctions struck earlier this month between the Dutch cycling union and Netherlands' professional teams.

Kemna admitted using EPO in 2003 in an interview published in the latest edition of NUSport Magazine.