The IOC has confirmed on Wednesday they will carry out further checks on samples given during doping tests in Beijing.

The review has been ordered after traces of banned blood-boosting substance EPO Cera were found during a recent re-test of samples from the Tour de France.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said: "Our message is very clear. The IOC will not miss any opportunity to further analyse samples retroactively. We hope that this will work as a strong deterrent and make athletes think twice before cheating."

In a statement, the Olympic governing body said: "The IOC intends to further analyse the samples collected this summer during the Olympic Games in Beijing. Substances that will be analysed across all sports include EPO Cera.

"All samples are currently being repatriated to the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne where Olympic samples are usually stored after the Games. The details of the procedure, such as the number of samples to be further analysed and the timeline, are currently being discussed with WADA."

EPO Cera is an enhanced version of the blood-boosting hormone EPO and is now detectable due to advances in technology.

Two competitors from this year's Tour de France, double stage winner Stefan Schumacher and Italian Leonardo Piepoli, have been caught since the advanced tests were introduced.

Despite early reports claiming every test result would be reassessed, the IOC have stopped short of making that pledge, however they have every sample in storage which means an entire review is possible.

Of the 4,770 tests carried out by WADA and Beijing Games officials during the Olympics, 3,801 were urine tests and 969 were blood tests.

All top five finishers, plus a further two per event, were tested.

UK Sport's head of operations Andy Parkinson has welcomed the IOC step.

Parkinson told BBC Radio Five Live: "I think this sends a great message, affirming the strong messages the IOC put out before the Games and demonstrating it continues to be committed to anti-doping.

"Long gone are the days when an athlete gets a negative test after a competition and disappears with the medal forever.

"What we're seeing is a long-term fight against doping, proving that athletes who cheat are not safe even years after competitions."