Austrian Christian Pfannberger will be suspended until his country's Anti-Doping Agency determines whether he breached regulations following a positive drugs test, the International Cycling Union said.

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"The provisional suspension remains in force until a hearing panel convened by the Austrian Anti-Doping Agency determines whether Mr Pfannberger has committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules," UCI said in a statement.

Austrian champion Pfannberger was suspended by his Katusha team on Wednesday after testing positive for the banned blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test carried out on March 19.

Pfannberger, 29, faces a possible lifetime ban since he already served a two-year suspension after a positive test for EPO in 2004.

The rider has denied any wrongdoing.

Pfannberger had already been dropped from the team to start the Giro d'Italia on Saturday after citing personal problems.

Alexander Serov was called in to replace Pfannberger in Katusha's lineup for the Giro.

The 29-year-old Pfannberger recorded three top 10 finishes in the Classic races last year and finished the world championships' road race in eighth place.

Austria has been hit by doping scandals since late last year.

Top rider Bernhard Kohl tested positive for CERA, the new generation of EPO, in a retroactive test from the Tour de France after he came third overall in the world's greatest stage race.

In March, Kohl's former manager Stefan Matschiner was arrested on doping charges.

Kohl, who was handed a two-year suspension from the sport, then said Matschiner had provided him with substances including testosterone, insulin and human-growth hormone and helped him receive blood boosters.

Watch the Giro d'Italia live on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe. Or watch the action on British Eurosport - available in the UK on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521. Coverage begins at 2.45pm on Saturday May 9 and continues at 2pm every day throughout the race.