Paolini tests positive for cocaine at Tour de France (The Associated Press)

This year’s Tour de France was hit by its first doping case as Italian rider Luca Paolini was thrown out of the race on Friday after testing positive for cocaine during cycling’s biggest event. Cycling’s governing body, the UCI, said in a statement that the 38-year-old Paolini, who rides for Russian team Katusha, was tested on July 7, the day of the fourth stage. Paolini, who was a support rider for teammates Joaquim Rodriguez and Alexander Kristoff at the Tour, can request a ”B” sample to be tested after he was notified ”of an adverse analytical finding of cocaine,” the UCI said.