Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) tested positive for EPO (both A and B samples) back in June - test results which may see hims tripped of his Tour de France stage win. Over the years, I've been quite amused to read the explanations for positive dope tests proffered by professional athletes. These can vary from the vanishing twin explanation for a positive test for blood transfusion, to beer consumption as an explanation for aberrant testosterone:epitestosterone ratios.
Cyclingnews.com reports (Astarloza blames positive on training session) that Mikel Astarloza has offere an explanation for his aberrant test results. Apparently his lawyer Jose Rodriguez
believes that Astarloza's problems stem from a session on his home trainer in a hyperbaric tent immediately prior to undergoing a random test on June 26. Hyperbaric tents are designed to replicate the effects of riding at altitude, thereby stimulating the natural production of red blood cells and boosting the haematocrit level.
Rodriguez believes that that if the samples had been taken an hour after Astarloza had stopped training in a hypobaric* tent instead of two minutes after, his text would have been negative. Excuse me for being rather sceptical.
*I think the Rodriguez means hypobaric, rather than hyperbaric, as hypobaric tents would simulate low air pressures found at altitude.