CYCLING TOUR DE FRANCE:SPANISH RIDER Manuel Beltran has been withdrawn from the Tour de France after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance EPO.

The Liquigas team took the decision after it emerged that Beltran's A sample from the first stage of the Tour tested positive.

Beltran finished the stage 25th. He finished yesterday's seventh stage in 26th place overall, three minutes 20 seconds behind leader Kim Kirchen.

French daily L'Equipefirst reported the positive test on their website.

Police responded to the news by raiding the hotel used by the Liquigas team, but the team plan to continue in the Tour without Beltran.

If the positive test is confirmed, Beltran (37), would be the first rider to fail a doping test during this year's Tour. Liquigas will await the results of a B sample before deciding whether to take further action against Beltran.

Earlier yesterday, the French anti-doping agency reported that tests conducted prior to the start of the Tour returned no positives tests but a few abnormalities.

Meanwhile. on the road yesterday, Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez claimed his maiden Tour de France victory when he took the stage with a bold solo attack in the finale of a 159km ride from Brioude to Aurillac.

The Caisse d'Epargne rider attacked on the descent of the Col de St Jean de Donne and never looked back, beating Germany's Stefan Schumacher by six seconds.

The German won the sprint among the chasing group to finish second ahead of Italian Filippo Pozzato.

Sanchez pointed to the sky at his moment of triumph in memory of his brother, who died three years ago in a quad bike accident.

"I dedicate this victory to my brother, my parents, and to my team. We are a big family, a great team and I am sure that we can win the Tour," he said.

Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen retained the yellow jersey after finishing in Schumacher's group.

"We defended it very well and I'll have it for another day tomorrow," said the Team Columbia rider.

Kirchen leads Australian Cadel Evans by six seconds in the overall standings, with Schumacher third 16 seconds adrift.

Sanchez's leader in the Caisse d'Epargne team, Alejandro Valverde, crossed the line fifth and moved up to sixth overall.

Italy's Damiano Cunego, who was one of the favourites for the overall victory, suffered in the last ascent of the day and lost 33 seconds to Kirchen, dropping to 17th overall.

French riders, who had been on the attack since the race left Brest last Saturday, suffered a bad day, with former French champion Christophe Moreau, Lilian Jegou and John Gadret pulling out injured.

Jegou, who hit a tree after 67km, was taken to the St Flour hospital with a fractured wrist.

About 100km from the line the peloton split following the crash suffered by Cunego and Spaniard Juan Antonio Flecha, who quickly went back into the main bunch.

On a nervous day, several breakaway attempts, including two from Briton David Millar, were controlled by the peloton.

The last breakaway was launched at the base of the category two Col d'Entremont by Sanchez, joined by fellow Spaniards David de la Fuente and Josep Jufre Pou and Italian Vincenzo Nibali.

Schumacher, who lost the yellow jersey following a crash on Thursday, attacked the peloton in the Cote de St Jean de Donne.

Cunego did not resist and was dropped in the first slopes of the ascent while De La Fuente earned the polka dot jersey for the best climber by crossing the summit line in first place.

The breakaway was then caught by Schumacher and the favourites' group but Sanchez, attacked again on the descent and easily won.