PARIS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Swiss Anti-Doping laboratory (LAD) will re-test blood samples from the Tour of Portugal in August for the new generation of the banned blood-booster EPO, LAD supervisor Neil Robinson said on Thursday.
"We have received some samples that were being taken during the Tour of Portugal and we are to re-test them to detect CERA," Robinson told Reuters by telephone.
"We will first check the samples in order to see if there is enough blood and if they are not damaged."
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) approved laboratory in Lausanne has developed a more effective blood test to find CERA, which had been difficult to detect through urine samples.
The French Anti-Doping lab also implemented another test for CERA and retroactively tested blood samples from this year's Tour de France.
As a result, four riders; German Stefan Schumacher, Austrian Bernhard Kohl, Italians Leonardo Piepoli and Riccardo Ricco, tested positive.
The Tour of Portugal, won by Spain's David Blanco, was held from Aug. 13-24.