Samples from Tour of Portugal to be re-tested

The Swiss Anti-Doping laboratory (LAD) will re-test blood samples from the Tour of Portugal in August for the new generation of the banned blood-booster EPO, LAD supervisor Neil Robinson said. "We have received some samples that were being taken during...

The Swiss Anti-Doping laboratory (LAD) will re-test blood samples from the Tour of Portugal in August for the new generation of the banned blood-booster EPO, LAD supervisor Neil Robinson said.

"We have received some samples that were being taken during the Tour of Portugal and we are to re-test them to detect CERA," Robinson said.

The WADA-approved laboratory in Lausanne has developed a more effective blood test to find CERA, which had been difficult to detect through urine samples.

The French Anti-Doping lab also implemented another test for CERA and retroactively tested blood samples from this year's Tour de France.

As a result, four riders, German Stefan Schumacher, Austrian Bernhard Kohl, Italians Leonardo Piepoli and Riccardo Ricco, tested positive.

The Tour of Portugal, won by Spain's David Blanco, was held from Aug. 13-24.

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