Paolini Sent Home From Tour De France

Last updated : 10 July 2015 By Covsupport News Service

Katusha's Luca Paolini has been told that he has tested positive for cocaine and excluded from the Tour De France as well as being provisionally suspended by the UCI.

Paolini was informed by the UCI that there was "Adverse Analytical Finding of Cocaine (Benzoylecgonine metabolite) in a sample collected in the scope of an in-competition control on 7 July 2015 during the Tour de France."

Katusha said on its website: "According to the UCI Regulations the rider has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect. In application of the Team policy the rider has been immediately withdrawn from the Tour de France.

Bearing in mind the anti doping regulations, the team will wait until the analysis of the B sample has been conducted before taking any further action or making any further comment.

Team Katusha is fully determined to collaborate with the anti-doping agencies in order to resolve the matter."

Cocaine is not permitted in race competition but is not banned out of competition and can remain in a person's system for upto ten days. Paolini can contest the result and request his B sample be analysed

If his B sample proves positive then under WADA rules, Paolini could be banned for four years which will probably end the career of the 38 year old unless he can prove his innocence.