(UPDATE Nov. 25: Lab confirms EPO in Heras sample)
Spanish cyclist Roberto Heras has been suspended from his team following accusations that EPO was found in his bloodstream, reports the BBC.
Heras, a former teammate of Lance Armstrong on the US Postal team, won an unprecedented fourth Vuelta a Espana this September. He rides with the Liberty Seguros team.
The blood-boosting agent erythropoietin was discovered in a test administered in the next to last stage of the three-week race, the BBC reported. The “B” sample has yet to be tested.
Reuters reports the backup sample will be tested Nov. 21.
“If Heras is confirmed positive, it would be a disaster for cycling in general and, within that context, for the Tour of Spain,” Victor Cordero, tour director of Vuelta a Espana, told Reuters.
Heras said it must be some kind of a mix-up at the lab.
Liberty Seguros had suspended Heras last month, but was waiting for the backup results (“B” sample) before making an announcement. News leaked out, however, and his team went public. If the second sample confirms the first, Heras will have to quit the team and lose his Vuelta title.
Earlier this fall, the French newspaper L'Equipe leveled EPO doping charges against Armstrong. The 7-time Tour de France champion has vehemently denied that he used EPO or any other illegal tactic to boost his racing performance.
VeloNews reports that Heras, who maintains his innocence, has never been accused of doping. Also see CyclingNews.
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