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Saxo-Tinkoff provisionally suspends Rogers, awaits B-sample analysis

By Cycling News

published 18 December 2013

Rogers suspects contaminated food in Clenbuterol positive

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Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) celebrates his solo victory in the Japan Cup(Image credit: Sonoko Tanaka)

Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) in the break before taking off on his own.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) still by himself near the top of the final climb.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)

Michael Rogers leads Alberto Contador near the front of the peloton(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

The Saxo-Tinkoff team has provisionally suspended Michael Rogers, but will await the B-sample analysis before commenting further on the rider's Clenbuterol positive, which was disclosed by the UCI today.

Michael Rogers returns adverse analytical finding for Clenbuterol

Cycling Australia responds to provisional suspension of Rogers

Rogers tested positive in a sample taken at the Japan Cup on October 20, 2013, after his solo victory in the road race.

The team issued a press release stating that Rogers had made them aware of the result. "The Australian explained to the team management that he never ingested the substance knowingly nor deliberately and fears that the adverse analytical finding origins from a contaminated food source," a press release stated.

Rogers participated in Tour of Beijing the week before the Japan Cup. China has had a history of food-related clenbuterol positives. The country in 2011 outlawed the practice of feeding the drug to pigs to make the meat leaner, but testing in the industry remains scarce. Chinese Olympians were banned from eating beef, pork or mutton during their preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

In late November 2011 WADA issued a warning about concerns of contaminated meat and "re-emphasized the need for athletes to exercise extreme caution with regards to eating meat when traveling to competitions in China and Mexico."

Michael Rogers now has the opportunity to request an analysis of his B-sample. According to the team's Anti Doping policy, Michael Rogers is provisionally suspended with immediate effect.

Until further facts are available to the team, Saxo-Tinkoff has no further comments on the matter.