Mikel Astarloza

His main characteristic is that he was an athlete with a huge endurance capacity, so he got good long and prolonged efforts. At rest it has 40 beats per minute, and in full effort it reaches the 202 pulsations.

The International Cyclist Union (UCI) decided to suspend the Spaniard Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel Euskadi), eleventh overall in the Tour de France and winner of a stage, after the Basque cyclist tested positive for EPO in an anti-doping test conducted outside competition, days before the start of the Tour de France.

The UCI reports that this decision was adopted after "receiving a report from a laboratory of the World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA), located in Madrid, on a test of urine with a positive result by EPO Recombinante, belonging to Mikel Astarloza and performed the 26 June 2009, outside the competition period ".

Shortly after, after confirming the positive in the contra-analysis, the cyclist was suspended with two years of sanction and an economic fine. Also, his image was damaged.

Referencia:
- Rodríguez, S. (2009). La UCI suspende a Astarloza por un positivo fuera de competición | Ciclismo | deportes | elmundo.es. Elmundo.es. Retrieved 16 May 2017, from http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2009/07/31/ciclismo/1249053775.html