Aurillac, France (My Sportsbook) - Spanish cyclist Manuel Beltran has been withdrawn from the Tour de France on the heels of a positive test result for blood booster erythropoietin (EPO). French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported on its website Friday that Beltran showed traces of EPO in the "A" sample of his urine, taken after the Tour's first stage last Saturday. The organizer of the Tour, Amaury Sport Organisation, released a statement saying they had received confirmation of the positive result from the French Anti-Doping Agency. The 37-year-old Beltran, who rides for the Italian team Liquigas, was then reportedly taken away by police from the team hotel. The climbing specialist has been a member of several teams, including the Discovery Channel squad, where he rode in support of Lance Armstrong. |
