Disgraced Spanish cross country skier Johann Muehlegg is pleading innocent after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug darbepoetin (NESP).

The gold medal winner in both the men's 10km and 30km freestyle has been ordered to give back only his third gold from Saturday's 50km race.

Muehlegg, whose celebratory meeting with King Juan Carlos of Spain on Wednesday has been postponed, wants to see the results of the counter-analysis for the drug test before deciding what action to take.

A German who defected to Spain in 1999 because he said aliens told him to, Muehlegg won gold in the men's 10km combined and 30km freestyle.

He tested negative after those races, but positive after winning the 50km on Saturday. He was ordered to give back that gold medal.

Speaking on Radio Onda Cero in Spain, he said: "I want to see the results of the counter-analysis; if possible I'd like it to be carried out in a different laboratory - for example in Madrid - and then I'll see how to defend myself."

The German, who took up Spanish nationality in 1998, was shocked at the result.

"I have passed more than 100 controls and never had any problems. Before I came to the Olympics I passed a control with the Spanish Olympic Committee and I have passed blood and urine tests after every race.

"All of them have been correct except that of the 21st; I don't understand that result.

"It is more a problem of the machine than with my blood.

"I have been competing for 10 years, I train hard and know my body, when I have flu or a fever, I call a doctor."

When asked who his doctor was and who prescribed his vitamins, Muehlegg said: "I don't have a doctor, I buy them anywhere - in the supermarket."

Benjamin Fernandez, the doctor of the Spanish Federation for Winter Sports, confirmed Muehlegg followed his own training programme.

"He has his own group and I don't control it," Fernandez told Marca.

"It's possible he doesn't have a doctor, but if one appeared tomorrow it's not something that would surprise us," he said.

The events have added to an already controversial few months for Muehlegg, whom cynics claim is more German than Spanish.

Alpine skiing great Francisco Fernandez Ochoa, whose gold medal in 1972 made him the most recent Olympic skiing champion from Spain, was forced to make a public apology for questioning Muehlegg's nationality.

Muehlegg has had his allies, however, the former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch among them.

Samaranch insisted on Friday that Muehlegg's first two gold medals were won for Spain.

Muehlegg is not alone in the misery stakes.

Russia's Larissa Lazutina tested positive for the same substance, which develops abnormal amounts of red blood cells, after winning the 30km classical yesterday.

Lazutina had previously won silver in the 5km combined, but was forced to pull out of the relay after a health scare relating to high levels of haemoglobin in her blood.

Also banned was Lazutina's team-mate Olga Danilova. She was thrown out of the 30km race after finishing eighth. She was allowed to keep the gold she had previously won in the 5km combined.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said he was saddened.

"Competitors who fail drugs tests lose their moral status as champions even if they cannot be stripped of all their medals because of legal reasons," he said.

"I think the athlete will have no credit or merit and will not be recognised as the true Olympic champion for his previous medals.

"It's a moral issue. Medals are just symbolic gifts, so the whole symbolism will disappear."