Luca Paolini Tests Positive for Cocaine, Suspended from Tour De France

Italian cyclist Luca Paolini tested positive for cocaine following the fourth stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday, according to a report by Sky Sports. He's been removed from the sport's marquee race by his team, Katusha, and is being provisionally suspended by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

The 38-year-old rider, who was serving in the domestique role for his team, was in 168th place following Friday's stage. Katusha released a statement after it found out about the positive test, per Sky Sports:

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In application of the Team policy, the rider has been immediately withdrawn from the Tour de France.

Bearing in mind the anti doping regulations, the team will wait until the analysis of the B sample has been conducted before taking any further action or making any further comment. Team Katusha is fully determined to collaborate with the anti-doping agencies in order to resolve the matter.

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The UCI also issued a statement about the situation, which was passed along by the Press Association (via the Guardian):

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The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that it has notified Italian rider Luca Paolini of an adverse analytical finding of cocaine (benzoylecgonine metabolite) in a sample collected in the scope of an in-competition control on 7 July, 2015 during the Tour de France.

The rider has the right to request and attend the analysis of the B sample.

In accordance with UCI anti-doping rules, the rider has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the affair.

At this stage of the procedure the UCI will not comment any further.

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Paolini competed in four previous editions of the Tour de France. His best career finish came in 2003, when he finished 69th in the general classification. He's won stages in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana while scoring a victory in the Gent–Wevelgem earlier this year.

His main task in this year's Tour was providing support for Katusha teammates Alexander Kristoff and Joaquim Rodriguez, according to the Sky Sports report. The latter is currently the highest-ranked member of the team in the overall standings in 17th place.

Losing Paolini is an unfortunate turn of events for the team but, seemingly, an even bigger personal setback for the veteran rider.