Liquigas rider Kjell Carlström could assume the Finnish national road title after Toni Liias tested positive for testosterone at Finland's national championships in June. According to Finnish news agency YLE.fi Liias has blamed the positive result on a nutritional supplement.
"I have not used doping products," Liias told YLE.fi, on Friday. "It is a food supplement. You would need to be a chemist to understand what the substance actually contains. I had no idea that the substance may cause a false positive."
Liias is currently awaiting the results of a test on his B-sample. If the positive is confirmed, the Finnish Cycling Federation will begin disciplinary action. If found guilty of doping, Liias, who races as an amateur, is likely to be stripped of the national road title he won in Kuusamo, Finland on June 28.
"Doping cases are, in particular, very disappointing," said Markku Nieminen, executive director of the Finnish Cycling Union. "They are always a shock when athletes are assumed to be clean."
Finnish anti-doping agency (ADT) cautions athletes about the use of nutritional supplements. The ADT explains that the supplements are interpreted as a doping product in the event of a positive test
The results of Liias' B-sample are expected this week.
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