NEWS FLASH: Lotto throws Dekker off Tour team

Thomas Dekker (Middle)

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Dutchman out of Cadel Evans' squad

Thomas Dekker has tested positve for blood boster EPO in a re-test of a December 2007 doping control. He has been placed on non-active status and removed from the Silence-Lotto Tour de France team, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

Charley Wegelius will take his place on the Tour team.

Dekker underwent an out-of-competition doping control in December 2007, while he was under contract with Rabobank. That control was negative, but because his blood values throughout 2008 were suspicious, the World Anti-Doping Agency retested that December 2007 control. Using new testing methods, the sample showed the presence of EPO.

"I am extremely disappointed," said team manager Marc Sergeant. "This happened when Dekker was riding for Rabobank, but the news is no less hard."

Dekker left Rabobank the middle of last season under unexplained circumstances.

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