Team Tinkoff-Saxo may have been hit by its first doping case after the UCI has announced that Michael Rogers has been provisionally suspended for a positive test for clenbuterol collected after his win in the Japan Cup in October. The suspension remains in force until his national federation determines whether he has committed an anti-doping rule violation.

When Oleg Tinkov announced that he has bought Team Tinkoff-Saxo from Bjarne Riis, he proudly announced that none of his teams had ever had a doping case. That may now have changed after the UCI has provisionally suspended one of the team's star riders Michael Rogers.

The Australian won his final race of the season at the Japan Cup on October 20 by riding solo across the line under torrential rain. Afterwards, he failed a doping test as the the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo has reported an adverse analytical finding of clenbuterol in his urine sample.

The positive test comes as a chock for Team Tinkoff-Saxo as Rogers is one of the main support riders for Alberto Contador. This year he finished 2nd in the Tour of California and 6th in the Criterium du Dauphiné and would probably have cracked the top 10 in the Tour de France if his team hadn't decided to sacrifice his GC chances for a win in the teams classification.

Rogers has been linked to doping several times in the past. his affidavit from the Lance Armstrong case, Levi Leipheimer had claimed that Rogers had worked with banned doctor Michele Ferrari. Rogers admitted to have used the doctor's services but said that it had nothing to do with doping and claims to have ended the collaboration in 2006.

That same year Rogers was part of the T-Mobile Team at the Tour de France. Patrik Sinkewitz has claimed that several members of the team travelled to Freiburg to carry out blood transfusions days before the Tour started but Rogers has denied all allegations. He finished 9th in that year's Tour.

Clenbuterol is the substance for which Alberto Contador tested positive during the 2010 Tour de France, with the Spaniard claiming that the substance stemmed from a steak. Rogers travelled to Japan directly from China where he did the Tour of Beijing. In China clenbuterol contaminated meat has been a big problem for athletes. In 2011, the German table tennis federation decided not to ban Dimitrij Ovtcharov after he blamed his positive clenbuterol test on contaminated meat.

Rogers' suspension will remain in force until his national federation determines whether he has committed an anti-doping rule violation. He has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample.

Breyne provisionally suspended as well

In the same press release, the UCI informs that Jonathan Breyne has also been provisionally suspended. The decision to provisionally suspend him was made in response to a report from the WADA-accredited laboratory in Beijing indicating an adverse analytical finding of clenbuterol in a urine sample collected from him in a test during the Tour of Taihu Lake on 5 November 2013. He took his only pro win four days later when he narrowly held off the sprinters on the penultimate stage of the Chinese race.

The Belgian was part of the Landbouwkrediet/Crelan-Euphony team from 2011 to 2013 but had to step down a level after the demise of the Belgian team. He has signed a contract with the continental Josan-To Win Cycling team. At 22 years of age, he is regarded as a talented rider but had failed to achieve much success until his win in China.

In light of the Chinese clenbuterol problems, it is noteworthy that the positive test is collected at a race in the Asian country.

Like Rogers, Breyne has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample. He will be suspended until the Belgian Federation has determined whether he has committed an anti-doping rule violation.