Why is xipamide banned

Luxembourg rider Frank Schleck is out of this year's Tour de France after failing a drugs test. The year-old, who finished third in last year's race, tested positive for the diuretic Xipamide on 14 July. Schleck, 12th in the Tour's overall standings, "categorically denies" taking any banned substance and insisted that his 'B' sample be tested.

Schleck, the older brother of winner Andy, was nine minutes and 45 seconds behind leader Bradley Wiggins. His RadioShack-Nissan team said they withdrew him from the race so he could prepare a defence.

It was also not possible to exclude the possibility of the use of another prohibited product or method, he said. Geyer also noted that it was possible that a contaminated food supplement had contained the banned product. The drug is classified in the World Anti-Doping Agency code as a "specified substance". Under the code, if an athlete can prove unintended ingestion of specified substances, the required two-year ban can be reduced to anything between a warning and a one-year ban.

Sign up to the Cyclingnews Newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how to do this, and how we hold your data, please see our privacy policy. Frank Schleck, the older brother of Tour de France winner Andy Schleck will lose all of his results from the event, in which he was standing in 12th place overall when he was forced out.

The Luxembourg rider failed the drug test after the 13th stage of last year's Tour in which he had finished in 15th place and his RadioShack team sent him home. Schleck, who has always insisted on his innocence, said at the time that he had no idea how the diuretic got into his system. He blasted his one-year doping ban as "too severe" and can appeal the sanction.

Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth. Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. James Heathers , University of Sydney. Cycling Tour de France Doping.