HAULED OVER THE KOHL

Bernhard Kohl, Riccardo Ricco and Moises Duenas will appear in front of the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) tomorrow in light of their positive drugs tests at the Tour de France.

According to L'Equipe, the three cyclists who are each allowed the use of a lawyer, will face nine officials from the AFLD and face a suspension of between two and six years from French territory.

As a result of the public audience, an immediate decision on the suspensions will be delayed but will be delivered within a few weeks.

Moises Duenas was the second rider to test positive at the Tour de France (after Manuel Beltran), with Ricardo Ricco testing positive for CERA soon afterwards.

What was thought to be an undetectable drug soon turned out to be quite the opposite, as the AFLD announced it had found a test for CERA, with Ricco being the first victim. Retroactive tests several weeks after the Tour caught out Bernhard Kohl, third overall and King of the Mountains in the Tour.

Kohl has already received a two-year suspension for his doping offence, but the prospect of a potential six year ban from French soil would delay his Tour comeback quite considerably.

It is thought that Stefan Schumacher and Leonardo Piepoli, both of whom tested positive for CERA at the Tour de France, will also be called to appear in front of the AFLD. However, Schumacher's continual protestations of innocence and threats to sue the AFLD for defamation could cause further complications.