Luca Paolini has admitted to using cocaine and sleeping pills ©Getty Images

Italian cyclist Luca Paolini has admitted cocaine use caused him to produce a positive drug test at this year’s Tour de France, and has also revealed an addiction to sleeping pills.

Paolini was notified of adverse analytical findings in a sample taken after stage three of the Tour on July 7.

Following the decision, the Italian rider was immediately removed from the race and suspended from competition until the case was resolved.

Ahead of his case being heard by the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) independent Anti-Doping Tribunal, established in 2014 with the aim of preventing National Federations giving their athletes favourable judgements, Paolini admitted to use of the substance.

The 38-year-old, in an interview with Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, claimed to have started using sleeping pills following the death of his brother in 2004 and says he has spent time trying to detox following his positive test.

"We start from the sleeping pills I took, I drop to sleep,” he said.

“The active ingredient is a benzodiazepine, but creates a damn addictive, I needed it in the evening, to rest, to address the physical and mental effort of the day.

“The real problem is the life of every day, the problems large and small, and all this adds to the sport, to the tensions, stress, mentally it affects you much.

“It is here that the intake of those substances, it is sad and from that mistake arrivals to cocaine."

The Italian was suspended following his positive test but a ban could end his career
The Italian was suspended following his positive test but a ban could end his career ©Getty Images

Paolini, who initially denied the use of the substance following his positive test, is still set to have his case heard by the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal.

While the stimulant cocaine is banned in competition under the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, which came into force on January 1, the substance is not prohibited outside of competition.

In the event that the veteran Italian cyclist opts to fight the case, his defence could be based upon the substance having entered his system prior to the race start on July 4 in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

At 38, a ban is likely to bring an end to Paolini’s career, with the Italian having immediately had his contract suspended with the Katusha team following notification of his positive test.

The Italian has been the only cyclist to date to be implicated in a doping scandal at this year’s Tour de France, where a total of 656 doping controls were carried out, including 482 blood and 174 urine tests.