B-sample confirms Dekker positive drugs test
Thomas Dekker undergoes the traditional medical check up at the London Excel Exhibition Center, two days before the official start of the 2007 Tour de France. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)
The B-sample requested by Dutch cyclist Thomas Dekker has confirmed his positive drugs test for the banned blood-booster EPO, the ANP news agency reported on Wednesday.
Dekker has accepted the findings and is awaiting his sanction, ANP reported.
The 24-year-old Silence-Lotto rider risks a four-year ban.
The sample was originally taken on December 24, 2007, but new procedures introduced since then allowed for further tests which revealed a positive reading for EPO and the rider was ruled out of this year's Tour de France three days before the start in July.
World cycling's governing body the UCI said it had also taken into account elements of Dekker's blood profile in his biological passport in 2008 and 2009 to order disciplinary proceedings on suspicion of doping.
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It is not the first time the Dutchman, who won the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race in 2006 and the Tour of Lombardy in 2007, has been embroiled in controversy.
In August last year it was reported that he was not selected for the Tour de France because of abnormally high blood parameters, an indication, though not proof, that blood manipulation has taken place.
© 2009 AFP
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User Comments
There are 3 comments on this post
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 comments
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Flanners1
Posted Wed 30 Sep, 5:56 pm BST Flag as inappropriate
I am waiting for a few from this years Tour
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JeffP
Posted Wed 30 Sep, 6:43 pm BST Flag as inappropriate
They don´t get it, do they? They just don´t get it: When will these people, who most cyclists I know have, at least when we were younger, tried to emulate or at the very least had respect for, finally stop insulting our intelligence? It´s the same every year, they´re all gonna stop doping. Yeah, sure, we know: my patience with pro cycling is running very thin very fast. I think I´ve watched my last Tour, now.
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Flanners1
Posted Thu 1 Oct, 10:33 am BST Flag as inappropriate
Having read the internet translation of LA Confidentiel (link on forums) Willy Voets book Breaking the Chain and numerous others I wonder who is actually clean. Testing is 10years behing the actual substances being abused. I Voets's book he was saying EPO was old had 10 years ago! So does clean mean, yes I take drugs they have no test for or not yet banned or I have not been caught. The sport is like other professional sports riddled with drugs and 'spanish' practices.
