Breyne attempts suicide after positive doping test

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Jonathan Breyne is recovering from a suicide attempt. The 22-year-old rider received news of a positive doping test for clenbuterol earlier this week, and one day later he swallowed large amounts of pills. He was rushed to a hospital in Gent on Thursday, where his stomach was pumped empty. After spending the night in hospital, he was released on Friday according to sudinfo.be.

Breyne, who rides for Crelan-Euphony since 2011 and signed a contract with Continental team To Win-Josan for next season, rode the Tour of Hainan and the Tour of Taihu Lake in October and November. He won the eighth stage in Taihu Lake.

"I received the news by email," he told Sudinfo.be one hour prior to his suicide attempt. "I have done nothing to deserve this but how do I prove this happened in China?" 

China is notorious for the use of Clenbuterol in livestock, and the World Anti Doping Agency warned athletes about it in 2011. Clenbuterol is mostly known because of the traces found in Alberto Contador's body, after which the Spaniard lost his 2010 Tour de France victory.

"The doses found in my body were much bigger than in Contador's case, the UCI has told me," Breyne said.

In the interview he gave to Sudinfo.be on Thursday, he said that he hadn't eaten since hearing the news. "I don't feel well at all, " he said. "I haven't eaten since. I don't understand why this happens to me. I feel really sick."

One hour later, he took large amounts of medicine, his father told the Belgian website. He was rushed to hospital for treatment. He was conscious in the emergency room but had to spend the night at the hospital for observation. He was released on Friday afternoon.

Michael Rogers also tested positive for Clenbuterol and has claimed in a personal statement that he did not knowingly take Clenbuterol. He said that the substance must have been in contaminated meat. Both Rogers and Breyne have been provisionally suspended pending analysis of their B-samples.

Breyne is unsure, as of now, whether he wants his B-sample to be tested.