Vienna - Austrian cyclist Christian Pfannberger was suspended Wednesday by his Russian Katusha team after a positive doping test.

The winner of the 2008 Giro del Capo race in South Africa will not participate in the Giro d'Italia that is scheduled to start on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Pfannberger had told Austrian news agency APA that he would not compete in the Giro because he was "not in top form."

It was the second ban for the 29-year-old cyclist. From 2004 to 2006, he was not allowed to race because he had used the hormone testosterone.

Pfannberger's case was the latest high-profile doping incident in Austria since the wide-ranging scandal surrounding cyclist Bernhard Kohl became known in March.

Kohl, who has been stripped of his third place in the 2008 Tour de France, revealed that his manager had provided him and others with blood-boosting substances and procedures. The scandal allegedly involves other players from the athletic, medical and pharmaceutical fields.(dpa)