Unai Yus at the 2005 Amstel Gold (Image credit: Andrea Hübner)
French newspaper l'Equipe has accused former Bouygues Telecom rider Unai Yus of possessing human growth hormone just prior to his expulsion from the Vuelta a Espana in September.
Yus was sent home by his team before stage 10 of the Vuelta on September 5, and subsequently sacked. At the time the team said he had been found in possession of substances that were not on the team's official medicine list.
The next day, Yus claimed that the material found in his room by a routine team check was a variety of "recovery products which are absolutely legal in Spain." However, according to l'Equipe, Bouygues Telecom director Jean-René Bernaudeau told the newspaper the search of Yus' room had uncovered vials of human growth hormone. The content of the vials was later confirmed by analysis at a laboratory in Paris, Bernardeau said.
Yus has denied that he was carrying growth hormone at the Vuelta. In a statement to Spanish press agency EFE he said was had, "categorically not carried growth hormone at the Vuelta a Espana."
Yus said that he has requested Bernaudeau confirm that he told was the source of l'Equipe's information, and he had, "placed this very serious accusation in the hands of my lawyers who are considering legal action against the people that made it."
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