Two more riders excluded

By Shane Stokes in Madrid

Following yesterday's news that two Bulgarians, Ivaïlo Gabrovski and Bogdan Stoytchev, were excluded from the 2005 world road race championship events because they failed the UCI health check, it has been announced today that two riders from the Slovenian squad have also fallen foul of the blood tests.

Simon Spilak and Vladimir Kerkez were amongst 35 riders who underwent examination earlier on Friday, and while the other entrants from France, Italy, Australia, Kazakhstan and Slovenia were pronounced fit for competition, the two have been told they cannot start tomorrow's under 23 road race.

The medical controls test riders to ensure that their hematocrit is not above the 50% threshold. Failing the test is suggestive, rather than being seen as definitive proof, of EPO use or other blood manipulation.

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