Yet another rider in this years Tour de France has tested positive and has been disqualified! Saunier Duval was notified just before the start of today’s stage that their GC leader Ricardo Ricco, had tested positive for EPO. The team took immediate action and voluntarily withdrew themselves from the race and Ricco was taken into custody for questioning by French authorities.

Ricardo Ricco, who had won 2 stages in this years tour, reportedly is part of a group of riders being targeted by doping control and has had to submit several samples during this years tour. One of those samples came back positive for a third generation version of EPO, Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (CERA). If Ricco’s B sample comes back showing positive as well, Ricco will be stripped of his two stage wins, and will face a 2 year ban.

We’ll keep an eye on developments and report what we hear.

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The French Anti-Doping Agency has informed Barloworld this morning that one of their riders has tested positive for rEPO. Barloworld’s Moisés Dueñas is the second rider to be pulled from this years Tour de France following a positive test result. Dueñas urine sample from Stage 4 has come back showing signs of the blood booster erythropoietin. The second positive for blood booster EPO at this years tour.

Moisés Dueñas was in 19th place coming into the rest day, six minutes forty three seconds behind overall leader Cadel Evans. If Duenas “B” sample confirms the initial test, he faces a two year ban from the sport.

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French sports daily L’Equipe has reported on its Web site that Liquigas rider Manuel Beltran has tested positive for the drug EPO. According to an unnamed anti-doping official, the test result came after stage 1 of the tour. Beltran finished stage 1 in 25th place before being one of several randomly selected for anti-doping controls.

Since the Tour is operating without the UCI this year, the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) is responsible for all the blood and urine controls. Once official confirmation comes from AFLD, Manuel Beltran will most likely get the boot from this years tour. It is then expected that his team Liquigas, will “voluntarily” leave the tour.

Before signing with liquigas last season, Beltran was a member of 3 of Lance Armstrong’s tour winning campaigns.

We’ll see how this unfolds and keep you posted.

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Photo provided by CorVos