Monday 3 August 2015 15:07, UK
Tom Danielson, the 37-year-old American, has revealed he has tested positive for testosterone.
The Cannondale-Garmin rider, who had been due to start the Tour of Utah on Monday, announced the news in a series of tweets but denied wrongdoing.
He wrote: “Tonight has been one of the worst nights of my life. While I was eating dinner with my team the night before Tour of Utah I received a call [from] USADA [United States Anti-Doping Agency] notifying me that an out of competition test I gave July 9 has tested positive for, from what I understand, synthetic testosterone.
“I have not taken this or any other banned substance. I spoke with them and my team and I will have to sit out the Tour of Utah as I wait for the B sample as well as look into all the possible ways that could have produced this result.”
Danielson admitted to doping during his time with the Discovery Channel team earlier in his career when giving testimony to USADA as part of their investigation into Lance Armstrong. He served a six-month suspension from September 2012 to March 2013.
Danielson added: “I would never ever take anything like this especially after everything I have gone through the last years. This makes absolutely no sense.
“I will now, as I wait for the B test, have the supplements I take, tested to see if this is what caused it. I feel incredibly hurt, frustrated, and angry by this. I don't understand how or why this happened and still can't even accept this is true.”
Danielson has been suspended by Cannondale-Garmin.
A team statement said: "Tom Danielson notified Slipstream Sports that he was informed by USADA that he has returned an adverse analytical A sample using carbon isotope testing.
"In accordance with Slipstream Sports' zero-tolerance anti-doping policy, he has been suspended from competition, effective immediately. He awaits the results his B sample. Slipstream respects and will adhere to the process of the anti-doping authorities and will not comment further."
