Rasmussen returned non-negative EPO test

Dane Michael Rasmussen returned a non-negative test for the banned substance erythropoietin (EPO) during this year's Tour de France, the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) said yesterday.

The result of the analysis of Rasmussen's urine sample cannot be declared positive for legal reasons.

"Traces of Dynepo, a biosimilar EPO, were found in Rasmussen's urine," AFLD president Pierre Bordry said. "Rasmussen's test could not be declared positive because of the positivity criteria of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)."

An EPO test is declared positive if the erythropoietin is obtained chemically. However, Dynepo is made from human cells and it was originally feared by WADA that it could be mistaken with human EPO.

Rasmussen, who was leading the Tour de France when he was kicked out of the race, was sacked by his Rabobank team after they said he lied about his whereabouts during training.