The 11th stage of the Tour de France started yesterday from Lannemezan without Barloworld's Moises Duenas Nevado, the second Spaniard to test positive for the blood-boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO).
The French Anti Doping Agency (AFLD) said earlier in the day that Duenas Nevado, who joined Barloworld two years ago, had failed a dope test after the fourth stage, a time trial in Cholet.
The 27-year-old rider was immediately withdrawn from the race by his team, which was allowed to continue in the event after a pre-race contract with organizers which stated that teams can carry on if offending cyclists were removed.
"We notified Moises Duenas Nevado that he had tested positive for EPO after the fourth stage this morning at 9:00am," AFLD President Pierre Bordry said.
Police raided the hotel where Duenas Nevado's team was staying before the start of the stage and left with the rider who was to be questioned, witnesses said.
"This is unbelievable," Barloworld team manager Claudio Corti told reporters. "I don't understand. I didn't even have time to talk to him."
Barloworld's spokesman Claudio Masnata said: "We are shocked. We are waiting for the B-test.
"The raid was shocking, it was not a friendly visit."
Duenas Nevado faces exclusion from his team and a two-year suspension.
Rocked in recent years by a number of doping scandals, this year's race had been free of controversy until last Friday, when Liquigas rider Manuel Beltran was arrested by French police after it was announced he had tested positive for EPO.
Duenas Nevado, riding in his third Tour, recorded his best finish of 39th last year. Among his previous achievements were victories in the Regio Tour in 2007 and the Tour de l'Avenir in 2006.
It was the second dose of bad news for Barloworld during the Tour. Its team leader, Colombian rider Juan Mauricio Soler, pulled out of the race last week after injuring his wrists in a crash during the first stage. Soler was the King of the Mountains champion as the Tour's best climber last year.
Pat McQuaid, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI), said Spain seemed to fail to get the message in the fight against doping.
"My first reaction is a reaction of great anger," McQuaid said by telephone.
"He is an idiot," the Irishman said of Duenas Nevado, who was 19th in the overall standings.
"It is interesting to see that it is the second Spanish rider (to fail a dope test on the Tour)," McQuaid added.
"Spain is slower to get the message."
The UCI barred Spain's Alejandro Valverde from entering the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, last year because of his possible implication in the Operation Puerto blood doping scandal that erupted in Spain in 2006.
The Spanish federation appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled against the UCI, allowing Caisse d'Epargne rider Valverde to participate in the race.
(Shanghai Daily July 17, 2008)