体坛英语新闻：Spain's cyclist Garcia banned two years for doping

MADRID, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Spanish cyclist David Garcia has been delivered a two-year ban for his positive test at the last Tour of Spain, the Spanish Cycling Federation said on Thursday.

Garcia, who finished in 11th place competing with the Xacobeo team at "La Vuelta", took the in-competition test on September 13 after which the Madrid laboratory analysing his sample detected banned blood booster EPO.

The World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory in Madrid indicated an adverse analytical finding of EPO and found the cyclist had tested positive for another prohibited substance, Hydroxyethyl Starch (HES), based on samples taken on September 16 in Cologne, Germany.

HES is known to improve the blood circulation, but it also helps to mask the use of blood boosting substances such as EPO ( erythropoietin) by reducing the levels of red blood cells, known as haematocrit.

The ban on Garcia was yet another blow to the reputation of Spain's cyclists as it came a day after Tour de France champion Alberto Contador received notification of a one-year ban proposal from the Spanish Cycling Federation for his positive test from last year's Tour de France.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) provisionally suspended Contador in August in advance of the Spanish decision after trace amounts of clenbuterol were found in a urine sample taken during the Tour de France.