Katusha announce Kolobnev pulled from Tour

LE LIORAN, France — Russian cyclist Alexandr Kolobnev became the first rider to be forced out of the Tour de France on Monday after an A sample from the Katusha rider tested positive for a banned substance.A statement from cycling's governing body the UCI (International Cycling Union) announced that a urine sample taken from Kolobnev in-race on July 6, had tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide.Following the news which came on a rest day in the race his team reacted quickly, pulling their man out of the race."We have decided to take Alexandr Kolobnev out of the tour de France," Katusha sporting director Dimitri Konyschev announced at the team's hotel.The UCI, confirming the rider's positive test, issued a statement reporting: "The UCI has informed the Russian rider Alexandr Kolobnev of an abnormal finding (presence of Hydrochlorothiazide according to a report submitted by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Chatenay-Malabry) from a urine sample taken during the Tour de France on July 6, 2001."M. Kolobnev has the right to request analysis of a B sample and to be present during the process."Under UCI rules Kolobnev could have continued to race because the banned diuretic is classed as a "specific substance" by the UCI.However his team, in a bid to save the race and the team from further controversy, said he would quit the race."Team Katusha rider Alexandr Kolobnev, after testing positive for a diuretic at a medical examination during the Tour de France?s first week, decided to suspend himself according to UCI rules, waiting for the B-sample," said the statement."At the moment, Team management and the rider have no further comment. It has to be noticed that internal rules in Team Katusha say that the rider, if the B-sample also tests positive, will be fired and will have to pay five times his salary as a fine."After the news broke Kolobnev was seen leaving his team hotel in nearby Vezac in one of two Katusha team cars which were being escorted away by two police cars.In one of the team cars was Katusha's chie

Add comment

Nick
Content

Submit