The Czech cyclist was provisionally suspended by the UCI on Saturday (August 2) after it found abnormalities in his biological passport dating back to 2011 and 2012.

The ban ruled the Tinkoff-Saxo rider out of the Tour of Poland which got underway on Sunday (August 3).

Kreuziger had already been withdrawn from participating in this year's Tour de France by Tinkoff-Saxo after it first emerged he was being investigated by the UCI over abnormal findings in his biological passport.

The UCI informed Kreuziger three months ago that its Anti-Doping Commission agreed on "probable" doping after examining blood readings from March to August 2011 and from April 2012 until the end of that year's Giro d'Italia.

The Czech was riding for the Astana team at the time and won a stage on the 2012 Giro.

However, the 28-year-old has refuted any suggestions he doped and claims the cycling governing body is breaking its own rules by imposing a suspension without a positive A sample being provided.

A statement made through his lawyers that was posted on his personal website read: "[The ban] has no basis in the UCI legislation, allowing [the] imposition of a provisional suspension only in cases of a positive A sample, which is not Mr Kreuziger's case.

"Other preliminary measures can only be imposed when there exists a risk that the results of a race might be affected by the alleged doping activity of the rider...and only after providing the rider an opportunity to deliver a written submission - which did not happen."

The UCI is investigating blood readings of Roman Kreuziger from 2011 and 2012 during which time he won a stage of the Giro d'Italia in 2012 ©AFP/Getty Images




The suspension also rules him out of taking part in the Vuelta a España which starts on August 23 and has led Kreuziger to take his case to the Lausanne-based CAS to lift the suspension so he can compete in the race.

"I'm not a cheat, and I have not committed any doping offence," the Czech Republic rider insisted on his website.

"I am deeply frustrated by this current situation, which makes it impossible for me to do my job and ride my bike."

Kreuziger last raced at the Tour de Suisse in June and despite withdrawing him from this year's Tour de France, where he was set to be a key support rider for Alberto Contador, Tinkoff-Saxo decided not to suspend him and had pencilled in the seven-day Tour of Poland as a comeback race.

When contacted by insidethegames, a UCI spokesman claimed that the governing body welcomed the intervention of the CAS which would speed up the decision process before the three-week trek around Spain starts.

"The [UCI] acknowledges Roman Kreuziger's decision to bring the provisional suspension imposed on him to the Court of Arbitration for Sport," said the spokesman.

"The UCI fully respects the rider's rights and - as made clear in the notification sent to the rider on August 2, 2014 - shall cooperate with him in agreeing to an expedited proceeding that should allow CAS to decide the appeal before the beginning of the Vuelta a España.

"The UCI will not comment on the various statements by the rider and his team as to the merits of the case and will present its position in the disciplinary proceedings."

Kreuziger joined Tinkoff-Saxo last year and went on to finish fifth in the Tour de France behind Great Britain's Chris Froome.

He was replaced by Poland's Rafal Majka who went on to win two stages on this year's Tour and take the King of the Mountains polkadot jersey.

Last month, the UCI handed Team Sky rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke a two-year ban after it determined their were abnormalities in his biological passport dating back to 2012.

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