Froome to compete in Andalucia despite doping investigation

Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome of Britain rides while training in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic island of Mallorca, Spain, Thursday Dec. 14, 2017. (Joan Llado/AP)

MANCHESTER, England — Chris Froome will compete in the five-day Ruta del Sol in Andalucia this month despite being under investigation by cycling’s world governing body for failing a doping test.

Team Sky named the Tour de France champion Monday in its lineup for the Feb. 14-18 race, which he won in 2015.

Froome has been ordered to explain to the International Cycling Union why a urine sample he provided at the Spanish Vuelta in September showed a concentration of the asthma drug salbutamol at twice the permitted level. If found guilty of doping, the 32-year-old British rider could lose his Vuelta title and be suspended for a long period.

Froome says "I understand that this situation has created a lot of uncertainty" and is "confident that we will be able to get to the bottom of what has happened."

[relatedlinks]

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.