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The International Cycling Union's anti-doping manager has said more riders are likely to face disciplinary proceedings following the review of biological passport data.

The UCI said earlier in the day that it had disciplined five riders after experts examined their blood profiles from several samples collected since January 2008 and its anti-doping manager Anne Gripper said there were probably more cases to come.

"We expect new proceedings to be open. This is happening in real time," she said after the sport's governing body named the five as Spaniards Igor Astarloa, Ruben Lobato Elvira and Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez and Italians Francesco De Bonis and Pietro Caucchioli.

"We are confident that the system we use at the moment is working. Each week, our experts are looking into some profiles (they believe are suspicious).

"It will be as the time is right and we will be announcing any other riders whose profiles are showing abnormalities.

"We've got profiles in the early stages and they are currently with the experts. We also have profiles with experts for more detailed reviews," she added.

"Once we have all the information we will open the cases immediately."

Since January 2008, the UCI has been collecting blood samples from all professional riders to create a medical profile, or passport, to be compared with data registered in doping tests.

The UCI is using software and human experts to detect suspicious patterns such as blood transfusions.

Profiling is the best way to eliminate doping from the peloton, Gripper said.

"It is a much better way of detecting doping patterns. We have to be patient. We will be able to eliminate the riders who may not have tested positive as usual.

"This is not just a piece of paper showing a positive test. We do have to take a longer time. For the future it's worth investing in this approach."

According to Gripper, the biological passport system will improve and allow medical experts to indirectly detect the use of steroids and human growth hormone.

"(For now) it's a combination of things. Listening to the experts, it is likely to be blood transfusions, and there is a high likelihood that the use of (bloodbooster) EPO/CERA is also the cause of their abnormal profiles.

"It is more likely at this stage that they transfuse their own blood.

"We have come up with an alternative to anti-doping testing, it is a fantastic break, a new paradigm.

"Steroid elements will be included and we can also look at the possibility of detecting human growth hormone. Profiling is the way."

Reuters