Luca Paolini tests positive for cocaine at the Tour de France
UCI announces Ghent-Wevelgem winner has returned a positive sample

Luca Paolini has tested positive for cocaine following an anti-doping test conducted at the Tour de France.
The Italian rider on the Katusha team returned the positive sample on Tuesday. He will not start Saturday's stage from Rennes to Mûr de Bretagne.
A UCI statement issued on Friday evening asserts that the 38 year old has the right to request and attend the analysis of the B sample.
"In accordance with UCI Anti-doping Rules, the rider has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the affair," read the statement.
Although better known as a recreational drug, cocaine (benzoylecgonine metabolite), a stimulant, is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances.
Katusha confirmed in a statement on Friday evening that they had withdrawn the rider from the race immediately. The Russian team added that they would wait for analysis of the B sample before taking any further action.
Paolini finished 172nd, nearly seventeen minutes behind stage winner Tony Martin, on Tuesday's stage over the cobbles of northern France to Cambrai.
One of the elder statesmen in the peloton, Paolini is famed for his well kept beard Earlier this year, he won Ghent-Wevelgem.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
Fabio Jakobsen sprints to victory on stage two of the Tour de France
Jakobsen beats Wout Van Aert and Mads Pedersen to secure the win for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Alejandro Valverde involved in hit and run incident during training in Spain
Movistar confirm rider suffered no fractures or other injuries
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'I didn't know if I was going to get back on the top step': Daryl Impey on 'special' Tour de Suisse victory after breaking pelvis in 2021
South African takes first win in over two years, his first for Israel-Premier Tech
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'I'm trying to get back to my old self again' — Chris Froome achieves his best result since 2019 horror crash
Chris Froome finished 11th at the Mercan Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes on Tuesday, his best result for almost three years
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'Tough' but 'nice': The Tour of the Alps through the eyes of the race's only sprinter
Giacomo Nizzolo raced the Alpine stage race despite there being no sprint opportunities
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Chris Froome: Being competitive at Tour de France would be a 'dream scenario'
The Israel-Premier Tech rider on being back at his normal level, appreciating his past, and aiming to have form late into the season
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Israel-Premier Tech withdraw from Tour of Flanders for medical reasons
WorldTour squad already depleted by illness and injury hit by second Covid positive
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Hugo Houle is still happy to be at Paris-Nice, despite being last Israel-Premier Tech rider standing
Almost fifty riders have abandoned the French stage race so far, as illness rips through the bunch
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Israel-Premier Tech down to one rider at Paris-Nice as illness rips through peloton
Neilson Powless, Matteo Trentin and Dylan Groenewegen among 18 riders to drop out ahead of stage five
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'I rode 17 stages of last year's Tour de France with a broken back - I'm not a person who gives up': a grateful Simon Clarke signs for Israel-Premier Tech
The Australian had set himself the deadline as the end of January to find a new contract
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published