South African cycling champion David George has tested positive for erythropoietin, a banned substance, the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport said.
George, a former Olympian and Lance Armstrong's teammate, tested positive for a hormone that increases the athlete's red blood cell count, helping boost in oxygen carrying capacity and so improving performance, reports Xinhua.
"The blood test showed suspicious activity with regard to possible manipulation of the blood profile and a subsequent urine test came back positive for the banned EPO drug," said the institute's CEO Khalid Galant.
George, who was on the US Postal Service cycling team between 1999 and 2000, at the same time as Armstrong, is now banned from competing, pending an investigation by an independent tribunal.
Armstrong has been banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping offences.