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18:13 GMT, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 19:13 UK

Briton Wegelius gains Tour slot

Charles Wegelius

Briton Charles Wegelius has been given a place in the Tour de France after Dutchman Thomas Dekker was ruled out following a positive doping test.

Wegelius, who finished 45th in the Tour in 2007, will come in for Dekker in the Silence-Lotto team.

Wegelius, who is known as a "domestique" or a key team member, will hope to build on that success.

Dekker, a former Dutch champion, won the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race in 2006 and the Tour of Lombardy in 2007.

Dekker's team Silence-Lotto team said on their website: "We have learnt on Wednesday morning that new tests... on samples from December 24, 2007, have proved positive for EPO (the blood-booster)."

"He (Dekker) has been immediately put on a list of 'non-active' riders," said sports director Marc Sergeant.

606: DEBATE
Give your reaction to Charles Wegelius' inclusion in the Tour

At the time of the test, Dekker, who is now 24, was riding for the Rabobank team.

Dekker was found guilty of a doping offence after the International Cycling Union (UCI) found suspicious data in the blood samples of the Dutch rider provided in 2008 and 2009 as part of the build-up of his biological passport.

The UCI has collected blood samples from all professional riders since the start of 2008 to create a medical profile that would be compared with data registered in anti-doping tests.

The UCI asked the Monaco federation, to which Dekker is affiliated, to open disciplinary proceedings against the 24-year-old, twice a Dutch time-trial champion, who faces a two-year ban from the sport.

"The UCI has instructed the Monegasque Cycling Federation ... to open disciplinary proceedings on this matter," a UCI statement read.

In recent years the Tour has been marred by a string of doping controversies.




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Armstrong opts to ride 2009 Tour (01 Dec 08 |  Cycling )

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