(Reuters) - Katusha has provisionally suspended Spanish rider Angel Vicioso for failing to appear at a high-profile doping trial in his home country, the Russian cycling team said on Wednesday.

"As of now Vicioso is suspended from all competitions," a Katusha spokesman told Reuters.

Spain's Angel Vicioso celebrates on the podium after winning the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse cycling race from Niederbipp to La Chaux-de-Fonds, June 13, 2006. REUTERS/ARC/Dominic Favre

The 35-year-old is one of several world-class athletes being linked to Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who is currently on trial for allegedly masterminding a doping ring.

Vicioso had been due to testify in Madrid on Tuesday but failed to show up. He had refused to attend earlier hearings citing health problems, reports said.

"He told us he had settled his case but it turned out that he didn't tell us the truth," Katusha general manager Vyacheslav Ekimov was quoted as saying by local media.

Last week, Katusha won the right to compete on the elite World Tour this year following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In December, cycling's world governing body UCI rejected their application to compete in the top flight because of the team's doping record over the past four years.

"We want to cooperate with the UCI in every possible way, therefore such actions by Vicioso just discredits our image," said Ekimov.

(Reporting by Gennady Fyodorov, editing by Justin Palmer)

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