Bicyclist Takes a Cold Remedy, Is Out of Race

Leslee Schenk of Boulder, Colo., was ousted from the Coors International bicycle race after testing positive for a banned substance contained in an over-the-counter cold medicine.

Her team manager, Joy Yule, said Schenk took Ny-Quil the night before Wednesday’s Estes Park circuit stage. She tested positive when picked for a random urine test after that race. The team appealed the finding, but another test Friday came up with the same result.

“She did what she thought was a very innocent thing,” Yule said. “She’s had a bad cough all week. She couldn’t sleep. She went down to the store and bought some Ny-Quil.” Yule said the riders receive a list of banned substances when licensed for competition, but the drugs are listed generically, not as brand names.

“They’re not biochemists, they’re bike riders,” she said.

During Friday’s competition, Jeannie Longo of France, the women’s overall leader, lost time to Inga Benedict in the morning, then came back to win the afternoon stage.

Longo’s lead was down to 35 seconds after she finished second, 25 seconds behind Benedict, in the Niwot time trial. But she stretched it to about a minute again when she crossed the finish line in the timed 75-minute Tivoli Criterium in an unofficial time of 1 hour 6 minutes 54 seconds.

Bernard Hinault of France remained securely in first place overall after winning the men’s Niwot time trial in 18 minutes 3 seconds for his solo ride over the 8.4-mile loop. Greg LeMond was second with a time of 18:07.

Davis Phinney won the men’s Tivoli Criterium during a rainstorm in Denver Friday night.