Tour De France 2011: Russian Cyclist Alexandr Kolobnev Tests Positive

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Alexandr Kolobnev's Test Comes Back Dirty at Tour de France

Russian Cyclist Alexandr Kolobnev has tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic banned at the Tour de France.

While Kolobnev was virtually a non-factor in this race, heading into the 10th stage in 69th place, his positive test could have a big impact on the world of cycling.

The phrase "where there is one, there is many" tends to hold true with athletes and illegal substances. We saw the baseball world turned upside down when the MLB started investigating and the Mitchell Report was released.

As it turns out, Alex Rodriguez, a player who was supposedly clean and free from PEDs tested positive. It spoke to just how widespread the problem was. Everyone was doing it.

In cycling, PEDs can help to alter many factors that could lead to greater endurance, giving cyclists an edge over their competition.

Lance Armstrong has been under fire, as he himself is being accused of taking performance enhancing drugs.

Many people probably don't associate cyclists with performance enhancing drugs because cyclists don't have the build of someone who is using steroids to bulk up.

Even so, there are many different types of PEDs. the diuretic Kolobnev tested positive for is said to decrease the amount of water in the kidneys and decrease blood return in the heart, which makes for less cardio output.

While it isn't exactly an anabolic steroid, it still provides an unfair advantage. Given that he isn't exactly a high profile cyclists, Kolobnev may not lead the general public to believe that many more of his peers use PEDs like Hydrochlorothiazide, but rest assured, the first positive test of the year is unlikely to be the last.

Kolobnev is able to attain a second test to clear his name, but he would be doing so in vain. A test that renders a positive result for a cyclist will link him to cheating for the rest of his career.

Armstrong never tested positive for a single test, while he was racing. It's hard to believe that Kolbonev will ever be able to shake the image he has created for himself.

Not everyone in cycling is a dirty athlete, but it's positive tests like this that are sporadically scattered throughout cycling that makes some cry foul. The extent of the cheating is unknown at this point, but as positive tests like this emerge, it's got to leave the cycling world concerned over the current state of the sport.

For all cycling news, analysis and updates be sure and check out Bleacher Report's Cycling Center.

-Kyle Vassalo

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