Former Lance Armstrong team-mate suspended for positive test

Tom Danielson says that supplements he was taking could have triggered the positive test result

Tom Danielson, a former colleague of Lance Armstrong has been suspended by his team following a positive test for synthetic testosterone.

The cyclist, who rides for the Cannondale-Garmin team was suspended on Monday (3rd August) and will await a further B-test to follow up on the results found in the initial, out-of-competition test,

Danielson was previously suspended for six months following the United States Anti-doping Agency’s (USADA) investigation into Lance Armstrong’s US Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams. He was one of five of Armstrong’s ex-team-mates who accepted a six-month suspension in exchange for evidence provided to assist USADA in stripping Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles.

Danielson was expected to compete in the Tour of Utah between 3-9 August but has subsequently withdrawn following the news of his suspension from his team.

Testing supplements

Speaking via his Twitter account, Danielson explained that he will now go about having the supplements he takes tested to ascertain whether this was the cause of his positive test result.

Tonight [Sunday] has been one of the worst nights of my life. While I was eating dinner with my team the night before Tour of Utah I received a call.

For USADA notifying me that a out of competition test I gave July 9th has tested positive for, from what I understand, synthetic testosteron [sic].

I have not taken this or any other banned substance. I spoke with them and my team and I will have to sit out the Tour of Utah as I wait for the B sample as well as look into all the possible ways that could have produced this result

I would never ever take anything like this especially after everything I have gone through the last years. This makes absolutely no sense

I will now, as I wait for the B test, have the supplements I take tested to see if this is what caused it. I feel incredibly hurt, frustrated, and angry by this. I don’t understand how or why this happened and still can’t even accept this is true.

Speaking in a statement, Slipstream Sports, the parent company of Danielson’s team said:

Tom Danielson notified Slipstream Sports that he was informed by USADA that he has returned an adverse analytical A sample using carbon isotope testing

In accordance with Slipstream Sports’ zero tolerance anti-doping policy, he has been suspended from competition, effective immediately. He awaits the results his B sample. Slipstream respects and will adhere to the process of the anti-doping authorities and will not comment further.

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