Team will fire Heras if positive drug test is confirmed

Four-times Tour of Spain winner Roberto Heras will be thrown out of the Liberty Seguros team if his positive drug test is confirmed by the 'B' test, says team manager Pablo Anton.

The 31-year-old Spaniard was suspended by the team earlier this week after testing positive for the banned blood-boosting substance erythropoietin on the penultimate stage of his record fourth Vuelta victory in September.

"If the positive is confirmed he will have to leave Liberty Seguros," Anton told Spanish sports daily AS yesterday. "All the teams in the UCI Protour have signed a code of ethics which states that any rider who tests positive will be fired."

Heras, a former team-mate of seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, has blamed a mix-up for his positive test and says he is determined to prove his innocence.

"It's a very difficult situation to deal with, but despite everything I'm trying to stay calm and trust that this will prove to be nothing more than a bad dream," Heras told Marca yesterday.

"Without a doubt it is the worst moment in my sporting career, but I don't want to portray myself as a victim.

"I believe it is a laboratory error and I'm concentrating all my efforts on proving it and that's why I've got a specialist lawyer on the case."