Mayo to wait three more days

By Monika Prell

The results of Iban Mayo's B-sample from the Tour de France was due to be known on Friday, but now will finally be published on Monday, according to El Correo. The rider tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO, but claimed his innocence. Josean Fernández Matxín, the director of Mayo's team Saunier Duval, sent yesterday an email to the UCI to find out the status of the procedure, and to find out when they could know the results of the B-sample, which was examined in the University of Gent (Belgium). The UCI answered that "nothing will be known neither officially nor unofficially until Monday."

According to Matxín, the laboratory "finished its work at noon". The UCI is the only authority which can communicate the results, so Mayo, who is suspended from riding, will have to wait three more days. The cyclists from Igorre (Bizkaia) denies having doped. "It's impossible" he said various times to Matxín when he was asked about the subject.