Alex Schwazer won the German Championships in April. But on Monday, the German Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) announced that it had detected the blood doping agent EPO in Schwazer's urine and blood samples.
He now faces a third doping ban, which would lead to a lifetime ban. He denies the allegations.
"I haven't taken anything. But I don't have faith in the system anymore," he said.
The Italian won Olympic gold in the 50-kilometer race in Beijing. Before the 2012 Olympics, he tested positive for EPO and was banned for almost four years.
That suspension was lifted, however, and he attempted a comeback for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. That effort did not come to fruition when he again failed a doping test and was banned for eight years.
