Orica GreenEDGE have announced that Daryl Impey has tested positive for Probecenid, a strictly prohibited masking agent, and has been withdrawn from racing until the matter has been fully resolved. The announcement was made in a press release this morning which stated: "ORICA GreenEDGE has been notified that Daryl Impey has returned an adverse analytical finding and has been notified by The South African Institute for a Drug-Costless sport that he delivered a positive A and B sample for the substance Probecenid after the South African Championships on February 6, 2014."
"The team would like to underline that it respects Daryl Impey’s right to prove his full innocence and will not comment any further until the process has run its due course and final conclusion has been made."
Although the sample dated from February 6th, Impey states on his website that he only received word of the result on June 23rd; the B sample was the analysed on June 27th. Impey states that: "anti-doping tests conducted on me on 8 and 9 February 2014 yielded no adverse results." Impey also says that he intends to fight to clear his name.
"I had no knowledge of Probenecid nor have I ever taken the substance knowingly in any manner. I am committed to drug-costless sport and fully intend to take all steps necessary to clear myself of any suspicion."
Impey made history during the 2013 Tour de France when he became the first South African to wear the Yellow Jersey; he held it for two days before losing it to Chris Froome on Ax 3 Domaines. It will be a severe blow to the sport in South Africa if such a prominent rider is proven to have used a prohibited substance.