British rider fails anti-doping test

Britain’s Simon Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) tested positive for terbutaline in an in-competition anti-doping test the Dailymail is reporting. The 23-year-old British rider finished sixth overall in the general classification at the seven-stage WorldTour race that ran March 6 to 13.

Simon Yates, a member of the Olympic podium programme who receives funding from British Cycling, is in contention for a stop on the British Olympic team for Rio. Orica-GreenEdge made a statement following the announcement that Yates had failed an in-competition drug test saying the team would take, “full responsibility for the mistake,” and that there was “no wrongdoing” on Yates’ part. The team is claiming that had a team doctor applied for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE), the banned substance terbutaline would not have triggered a failed doping test.

This latest development plunges British Cycling into even deeper crisis after it was announced that the programmes technical director Shane Sutton was suspended for allegations of discrimination and sexism. Two on-going independent investigations are currently looking into the allegations and Sutton has since stepped down from his position.

A British Cycling spokesman told Sportsmail that, “British Cycling can confirm that it has been notified by the UCI of a potential anti-doping rule violation against a British rider based on an analysis of a sample provided in competition. As with any other doping violation charge at this level, those proceedings will be managed independently of British Cycling by the UCI. It would be inappropriate to comment further until the process has been completed.”

Yates won the climbing classification at the 2014 Tour of Alberta. Simon’s brother Adam also rides with Orica-GreenEdge and won the Clásica de San Sebastián in 2015 and finished second-overall the 2015 Tour of Alberta.