October 6, 2008 – The cycling world was rocked today with more doping scandals as L’Equipe, the French sports daily newspaper, claims that German pro rider Stefan Schumacher of team Gerolsteiner has tested positive for use of CERA during the 2008 Tour de France reports AFP.

CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator) is an advanced version of the blood-boosting hormone EPO and, because of its slightly different molecular structure, has proven difficult for older doping tests to detect. However, the paper says that the French anti-doping lab has recently pioneered a new blood test for CERA and has begun re-testing samples taken during the 2008 Tour, specifically looking for traces of the new drug.

Schumacher made a name for himself during this year’s Tour winning both individual time trials and donning the yellow leader’s jersey for two days until he crashed at the end of stage 6. AFP cites the L’Equipe story as saying that, “Schumacher’s urine samples from the Tour were suspect although it took a recently-pioneered blood test for CERA to prove his guilt.”

According to the Associated Press, Pierre Bordry, head of the French anti-doping agency, said he could not confirm the report. Schumacher wasn’t the only 2008 Tour rider to be nabbed for CERA use today. This morning, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) announced that Leonardo Piepoli, formerly of the Saunier Duval squad, has also tested positive for CERA.

Piepoli, with the help of his teammate Riccardo Riccò, won the race’s 10th stage to Hautacam in the Pyrenees. Riccò himself tested positive for CERA shortly after the stage and the team’s management decided to pull the entire squad from the race. The Saunier Duval team was dissolved just days later. Last week Riccò received a 20-month ban from competition.

For more on this story AFP, Guardian UK, Associated Press.