Spanish cyclist Margarita Fullana suspended for EPO finding

Olympic cycling medallist Margarita Fullana of Spain has been provisionally suspended after testing positive to banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO).

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced the ban on Saturday, dealing a further blow to the sport's battered image.

The suspension had been handed down after a WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal reported an "adverse analytical finding of EPO" in a urine sample collected in an out-of-competition test on Aug. 30, the UCI said in a statement.

"The provisional suspension of Ms Fullana remains in force until a hearing panel convened by the Spanish Cycling Federation determines whether she has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules," the statement said.

"Ms Fullana has the right to request and attend the analysis of her B sample. Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the UCI is unable to provide any additional information at this time."

The 38-year-old Fullana won bronze in the cross-country cycling at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and is a three-time winner at the mountain bike world championships.

The finding comes two days after Tour de France champion Alberto Contador was provisionally suspended for a "small concentration" of the anabolic agent clenbuterol and two other Spanish riders were suspended for testing positive to a banned substance.

Tour of Spain runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera and fellow Spaniard David Garcia Da Pena tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch, a plasma substitute that increases blood volume.