December 22, 2006 – Spanish cyclist, Aitor González (Euskaltel-Euskadi), who won the 2002 Tour of Spain and the 2005 Tour de Suisse, has been banned from professional cycling for two years following his testing positive for methyltestosterone at the 2005 Tour of Spain, reports AFP. Methyltestosterone is an anabolic steroid.

Earlier, in August 2005, he also tested positive for methyltestosterone during an out-of-competition event, but the Spanish Cycling Federation let González off with a fine in May 2006. González claimed that the positive result was due to contamination of a food supplement that he was taking.

The UCI appealed that decision before the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) requesting the 2-year ban. The CAS rejected González defense stating “that he could not have ignored repeated warnings about the food supplement to sports authorities.” The ban applies from September 28, 2005, when Gonzalez stopped competing.