Dutch cycling talent Thomas Dekker will be kept out of this year's Tour de France following a positive doping test.

His team, Silence-Lotto from Belgium, decided on Wednesday to take him out because a repeated analysis of samples taken in December 2007 revealed that Dekker had been using epo. This illegal substance enhances the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

The re-examination used new detection methods and found traces of dynepo, a variant of epo, international cycling union UCI told the press. The UCI decided to take another look at Dekker's sample when unusual values were registered in his biological passport, a record kept for each of the 840 professional UCI cyclists.

Thomas Dekker told De Telegraaf daily that

"This is an unbelievable story. It is all very strange, and I've got the feeling I'm being framed. On the very day that I'd be leaving for the Tour, this story pops up. How can a sample that tested negative in 2007 suddenly be re-examined? There's something wrong here."

Dekker could face a two-year suspension, and is considering legal steps.

"This should not be the end of my cycling career. I will have to clear my name, and that won't be easy."

The 24-year-old cycled with the Dutch Rabobank team until 2008 and won prestigious titles such as the Tour of Romandy and the Tirreno-Adriatico. Thomas Dekker parted company with Rabobank when they refused to take him to the Tour de France last year. Instead he signed for two years with Silence-Lotto.

In an ironic twist, the 2009 Tour de France will kick off on Saturday in Monaco, where Dekker currently lives.