22-year-old Jonathan Breyne is currently recovering from a suicide attempt. This has emerged on the back of news that the Belgian had a positive test for clenbuterol. 

It is believed that he had swallowed a large amount of pills and has to have his stomach pumped empty by a Gent hospital. After spending the night in hospital, he was released on Friday according to sudinfo.be.

The young man, who has ridden for Crelan-Euphony since 2011, had signed a contract with To Win-Josan and had ridden the Tour of Hainan and the Tour of Taihu Lake, where he won the eighth stage. 

"I received the news by email," he told Sudinfo.be one hour prior to his suicide attempt. "I have done nothing to deserve this but how do I prove this happened in China?"

China is notorious for the use of Clenbuterol in livestock, and the World Anti Doping Agency warned athletes about it in 2011. Clenbuterol is mostly known because of the traces found in Alberto Contador's body, after which the Spaniard lost his 2010 Tour de France victory.

"The doses found in my body were much bigger than in Contador's case, the UCI has told me," Breyne said.

Saxo-Tinkoff’s Michael Rodgers has also been accused of taking clenbuterol although he has released a statement claiming it was unknowingly ingested and he did not knowingly take it.

Earlier this year Mauro Santambrogio is believed to have attempted suicide after his positive test for EPO in the Giro.