British rider Simon Yates tested positive for Terbutaline at Paris-Nice after stage 6 on March 12. Orica GreenEDGE Cycling team said they gave the 23-year-old the substance to treat his “documented asthma problems”, but forgot to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

"There has been no wrong-doing on Simon Yates' part," Orica-GreenEDGE said in a statement. "The team takes full responsibility for this mistake and wishes to underline their support for Simon during this process. The substance was given to Simon Yates in the form an asthma inhaler and accordingly, this was noted by the team doctor on the doping control form, signed at the time of the test."

Simon Yates is a legitimate Grand Tour contender. With his twin brother Adam and Colombian rider Esteban Chaves, Orica GreenEDGE hope to shine in three-week races.

And with Chaves set to line up for OGE at the 2016 Giro starting next week, both Yates brothers were expected to represent the Aussie team at the 2016 Tour, with hopes of a high finish for one or both.

Orica-GreenEDGE official statement: 

On April 22, the team was notified that Simon Yates has an adverse analytical finding from a test conducted at Paris-Nice, stage 6 on March 12, 2016.

The positive result is for the substance Terbutaline.

The substance was given to Simon Yates in the form an asthma inhaler and accordingly, this was noted by the team doctor on the Doping Control Form, signed at the time of the test.

The substance was given in an ongoing treatment of Simon Yates’ documented asthma problems. However, in this case the team doctor made an administrative error by failing to apply for the TUE required for the use of this treatment. 

The use of Terbutaline without a current TUE is the reason it has been flagged as an adverse analytical finding. This is solely based on a human error that the doctor in question has taken full responsibility for.

There has been no wrong-doing on Simon Yates’ part. The team takes full responsibility for this mistake and wishes to underline their support for Simon during this process.

The team is concerned by the leak of this information and has no further comments until there has been a full evaluation made of the documentation, statements and evidence that the team and Simon Yates are now submitting to the UCI in order to clarify everything.