Simon Yates confirmed to race Criterium du Dauphine in June

By Matt Westby

Image: Simon Yates is to return to racing despite a failed drugs test in March

Simon Yates, who failed a drugs test in March, has been named on the start list for next month's Criterium du Dauphine.

The 23-year-old from Bury tested positive for the asthma drug terbutaline at Paris-Nice but is free to continue racing due to the fact it is designated as a "specified substance" by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and therefore does not trigger a provisional ban.

Yates' Orica-GreenEdge team blamed the positive sample on their doctor's failure to apply for a therapeutic use exemption and said they would submit all "documentation, statements and evidence" to the UCI "in order to clarify everything".

Image: Yates finished fifth at last year's Criterium du Dauphine

Neither Orica-GreenEdge or the UCI have commented since.

Yates was suffering with a knee injury when news of his failed test broke at the end of April, but he is now fit to race and has been listed on the Dauphine's official website as a co-leader of Orica-GreenEdge alongside twin brother Adam. Simon finished fifth overall in 2015.

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The eight-day Dauphine is a key warm-up for the Tour de France and this year takes place from June 5-12.

The climber-friendly course contains four summit finishes - at Chalmazel-Jeansagniere, Vaujany, Meribel and Superdevoluy - a 3.9km uphill prologue time trial and three stages that should end in sprints.

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Image: Chris Froome and Alberto Contador will both ride the Criterium du Dauphine

Organisers have also confirmed that Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Fabio Aru and Richie Porte will all take part.

Froome returns to action for the first time since finishing 38th at the Tour de Romandie early this month, while Contador has not raced since winning the Tour of the Basque Country in early April.

Other Tour hopefuls set to be on the start line include Romain Bardet, Thibaut Pinot and Joaquim Rodriguez, while current Giro d'Italia leader Steven Kruijswijk has also been named on the provisional start list.

The only Tour contender not riding the Dauphine is Nairo Quintana, who decided to make his overall victory in Romandie his final warm-up race. 

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