PARIS, (Reuters) – Spaniard Mikel Astarloza, 11th in the Tour de France, has been provisionally suspended following a positive out-of-competition test for the banned blood booster EPO, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said yesterday.
“Earlier today, the UCI advised Spanish rider Mikel Astarloza that he has been provisionally suspended,” the UCI said in a statement.
“The decision to provisionally suspend Mr Astarloza was made in response to a report from the WADA accredited laboratory in Madrid indicating an Adverse Analytical Finding of Recombinant EPO in a urine sample collected from him at an out-of-competition test on 26 June 2009.”
If the B sample is also positive, Astarloza, who rides for the Euskaltel Euskadi team, will face a two-year suspension.
