Right on the heels of the news that Alberto Contador has been provisional suspended following the detection of minute traces of Clenbuterol in a urine sample from the Tour de France, Spanish cycling and the sport in general has suffered another blow today. The UCI has now confirmed earlier reports that Vuelta a España runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera and Xacobeo Galicia team-mate David Garcia both tested positive in the Spanish Grand Tour.
The news of Mosquera’s case was first reported by reported this morning by Cadena Ser and Biciciclismo. The 34 year old won stage twenty and finished second overall, 43 seconds behind Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas). He recently signed a contract with the Vacansoleil team.
Garcia was then named as the second rider by AS and others, and has also been confirmed by the UCI as failing an anti-doping test. He finished eleventh overall in the Vuelta, and took top ten placings on the stages to Peña Cabarga and Alto de Cotobello.
Cycling’s governing body gave more details in a statement, including the name of the substance in question. “Earlier today, the UCI advised Spanish riders David Garcia Da Peña and Ezequiel Mosquera of their Adverse Analytical Findings (presence of Hydroxyethyl starch based on reports from the WADA accredited laboratory in Köln) in the urine samples collected from them at an in-competition test at the Vuelta a España on 16 September 2010,” it read.
“Mr. David Garcia Da Peña and Ezequiel Mosquera have the right to request and attend the analyses of their B samples.”
Hydroxyethyl starch is the same substance that fellow Spaniard Oscar Sevilla also recently tested positive for. It is a blood plasma volume expander which can be used to disguise the increase in hematocrit that occurs with the use of EPO and other related substances.
Team manager Álvaro Pino told EFE that he found the news hard to believe. “I’m like stone,” he said. “I have to say that I’m surprised as in our team, we are sure that this case of doping is impossible. I have not spoken to Ezequiel, but I’ll try in the coming hours.”
Xacobeo Galicia has been struggling to find new backing for next season, and faced a deadline of tomorrow to secure the necessary funding. Today’s news means that the team will almost certainly end. Subject to confirmation, it may also bring the career of Mosquera to a close, given that he is facing a two year ban and is almost 35 years of age.