Team Barloworld has revealed that Moises Duenas was caught with a ?considerable amount of banned medicines? in his room during a search by French police.
The 27 year-old Spaniard was taken into police custody in Tarbes on Wednesday morning after police searched his room following the announcement that he had failed a doping test for EPO after the stage four time trial in Cholet.
He was taken to the local police station and is expected to held until the drugs are fully identified. Under French law doping is a penal offence and Duenas could be charged with doping offences and face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Team Barloworld discovered that Duenas had banned drugs in his room when team manager Claudio Corti and team doctor Massimiliano Mantovani went to the police station in Tarbes.
?We?re absolutely stunned by what is happening and by the behaviour of one of our riders. He seems to have secretly used banned substances, hiding everything from everybody else in the team,? Corti said in a statement issued by Team Barloworld.
?I?ve asked the French police to fully investigate the case so that we can fully understand the seriousness of what Moises Duenas has done.?
?It?s terribly disheartening but because the team is not involved in what has happened, we hope that the whole truth can rapidly emerge so that we can take the necessary action and that Duenas can fully accept responsibility for what he has done.?
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The other riders in Team Barloworld were allowed to start stage 11 of the Tour de France but Paolo Longo Borghini crashed out early, fracturing his collarbone.
Team Barloworld is registered as a British team but is based in Italy and managed by Claudio Corti, who also ran the Saeco and Lampre teams. British riders Steve Cummings, Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome ride for Team Barloworld but only Froome, who recently switched nationality from Kenyan to British, is at the Tour de France.
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TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: STAGE REPORTS
Stage 10: Evans takes yellow jersey by one second
Stage nine: Ricco wins in the Pyrenees
Stage eight: Cavendish wins again in Toulouse
Stage seven: Sanchez takes action-packed stage
Stage six: Ricco storms to win
Stage five: Cavendish takes first Tour win
Stage four: Schumacher wins TT and takes race lead
Stage three: Dumoulin wins stage from break
Stage two: Hushovd wins chaotic sprint
Stage one: Valverde wins
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TOUR DE FRANCE 2008: NEWS
Analysis: Tour de France rest day summary
Cavendish battles through Pyrenees
Evans suffers but takes yellow jersey [stage 10]
Analysis: Hautacam shakes up 2008 Tour
Ricco silences critics with solo attack in Pyrenees [stage nine]
Cavendish talks about his second stage win [stage eight]
Beltran heads home but doubts remain about other Tour riders
David Millar: the dope controls are working
Manuel Neltran tests positive for EPO at the Tour
Comment: How the Tour rediscovered its spirit
Doping back in Tour de France headlines
Millar: close but no cigar in Super-Besse [stage six]
Super-Besse shows form of main contenders [stage six]
Millar to go for yellow [stage six]
Team Columbia's reaction to Cavendish's win [stage five]
Cavendish talks about his Tour stage win
Tour comment: Why Evans should be happy [stage four]
Millar: Still aiming for Tour yellow jersey [stage 4]
Who is Romain Feillu?
Cavendish disappointed with stage two result
Millar too close to Tour yellow jersey
Stage 2 preview: A sprint finish for Cavendish?
Millar happy after gains precious seconds in Plumelec
Valverde delighted with opening Tour stage win
Comment: Is Valverde's win a good thing for the Tour?
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