Cycling: The Astana team have announced another of its riders, Andrey Kashechkin, has returned a positive test result for blood doping.
Kashechkin was a Tour de France team-mate of Alexandre Vinokourov, the pre-race favourite, who was thrown out of famous race after failing a blood doping test.
Astana subsequently left the Tour and has suspended cycling activities for a month to take stock and decide the best way forward.
Last week Astana were hailed for the strong action they took in sacking 33-year-old Vinokourov and invited to the Vuelta Espana.
But today the team revealed that Vinokourov's fellow Kazakh, 27-year-old Kaschechkin, had failed a test although the team statement did not disclose which body had carried out the test in question.
A statement issued by the Astana team read: "New hard blow for the Astana Cycling Team: the Kazakh Andrej (Andrey) Kashechkin has been positively controlled by homologue blood transfusion.
"This result is the consequence of an unexpected (unannounced) control carried out on August 1st in Belek (TUR)."
The statement continued: "The rider is suspended from the team with immediate effect while waiting for the analysis of the B sample."
The team admitted in the statement that the news was a blow to their credibility.
They continued: "Whereas the Astana Cycling Team make great efforts to be rebuilt on new bases, the positive control of Kashechkin once more damages the credibility of the team.
"This new hard blow does nothing but reinforce the will of the Astana Cycling Team's management to set up drastic measures for a clean cycling."
The Astana team was assembled by Vinokourov, who secured sponsorship from companies in his oil- and natural gas-rich Kazakhstan homeland.
Vinokourov, who tested positive in Le Tour after his time-trial win at Albi, had insisted the team wear the sky-blue and yellow colours of his nation.
Vinokourov has maintained his innocence over the failed Tour test.