Kolobnev forced out of Tour de France

LE LIORAN, France: Russian cyclist Alexandr Kolobnev became the first rider to be forced out of the Tour de France on Monday after an 'A' sample from the Katusha rider tested positive for a banned substance.

A statement from cycling's governing body the UCI (International Cycling Union) announced that a urine sample taken from Kolobnev in-race on July 6, had tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide.

Following the news which came on a rest day his team reacted quickly, pulling their man out of the race.

The UCI, confirming the rider's positive test, issued a statement reporting: "The UCI has informed the Russian rider Alexandr Kolobnev of an abnormal finding (presence of Hydrochlorothiazide according to a report submitted by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Chatenay-Malabry) from a urine sample taken during the Tour de France on July 6, 2001.

Under UCI rules Kolobnev could have continued to race because the banned diuretic is classed as a "specific substance" by the UCI.

The statement added: "The UCI's anti-doping rules do not foresee a provisional suspension given the nature of the substance, which is a 'specified substance'.

Katusha, in a bid to save the Tour and the team from further controversy, said Kolobnev would quit the race.

The Russian outfit said he would be sacked if the B sample was also positive.

The 30-year-old Kolobnev, a silver medal winner at the 2009 world road championships, was placed 69th in the overall Tour de France standings, 22min 15sec behind yellow jersey leader Thomas Voeckler.

Kolobnev, a multi national champion, is also a respected one-day classics rider who finished fourth in the Olympic road race in Beijing at the 2008 Games.

He has also finished on the podium of several hilly classics, finishing third in the Tour de Lombardy in 2009, sixth at the Amstel Gold Race the same year and runner-up at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2010.

Australia's former top cricket star Shane Warne tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide along with amiloride in February 2003, prompting him to pull out of the World Cup.

He was given a 12-month ban by the Australian Cricket Board's anti-doping unit.