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Vorganov free to race after UCI lifts drug ban

Catanzaro - Cycling's ruling body on Monday lifted Russian Eduard Vorganov's provisional suspension for testing positive for meldonium.

The Katusha rider was banned in February after he emerged as one of a slew of sportsmen and women who had tested positive for the Latvian-made anti-ischemia drug which boosts oxygen supply to the blood and tissues in the body.

The former Russian road race champion failed a control for the drug in an out of competition test in January.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) did not offer reasons for their decision to free the rider to compete again.

"At this stage of the process and until a ruling in this case the UCI will not make any further comment," a UCI spokesman said.

Meldonium was only placed on World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)'s list of banned substances at the start of 2016.

On April 16, WADA said athletes could escape a ban for taking meldonium because it does not know for sure how long it takes the substance to leave the body.

Since being added to their banned list WADA report there have been 172 test failures, including Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova.

Russia has been particularly badly hit by the meldonium scandal with track and field athletes and swimmers among about 40 Russians caught.

WADA also said action could be suspended if between one and 15 micrograms of meldonium are detected and the test was taken before March 1.

The world agency said this is because studies are needed to determine when a substance was taken.

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