Luxembourg»s Frank Schleck riding in the 191 km and fourteenth stage of the 2012 Tour de France.
Luxembourg rider Frank Schleck is out of the Tour de France after testing positive for a diuretic, a spokesman for his RadioShack-Nissan team said on Tuesday.
Earlier the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced the rider had returned an «adverse analytical finding» for the diuretic Xipamide although he was not suspended from the race because it is a specified substance.
However, asked if Schleck, who was third overall last year and currently stands 12th, would continue riding in this year’s Tour, a RadioShack spokesman told reporters: «No.»
The UCI statement said: «Earlier today, the UCI advised the Luxembourger rider Frank Schleck of an adverse analytical finding (presence of the diuretic Xipamide…) in the urine sample collected from him at an in competition test at the Tour de France on 14 July 2012.»
A rider can be given less than a two-year ban when testing positive for a specified substance because it is possible for it to enter the body inadvertently and anti-doping rules give a tribunal more flexibility when making a sanctioning decision.
According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) «…there is a greater likelihood that these substances could be susceptible to a credible non-doping explanation.»
The 32-year-old, who has won two stages in previous editions of the world’s greatest cycling race and is the brother of 2010 Tour champion Andy Schleck, has the right to request and attend an analysis of his B sample.