‘A foolish and selfish choice’ – Jarlinson Pantano’s former team-mate responds after Colombian tests positive
The Trek-Segafredo rider has been suspended after failing a drug test
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A former team-mate of Jarlinson Pantano has spoken of his disappointment after the Colombian tested positive for a performance enhancing drug.
Trek-Segafredo rider Pantano has been suspended by both his team and the UCI after he returned a positive test for EPO.
Pantano’s former team-mate Stef Clement said the 30-year-old had made a “foolish and selfish choice”
Retired pro Clement, who rode with Pantano at IAM Cycling in 2015 and 2016, said on Twitter: “Really disappointed to read about the positive test of former team-mate Jarlinson Pantano.
“I did not see this one coming and I don’t understand. If true, it is a foolish and selfish choice.”
Pantano returned an adverse analytical finding for EPO during an out-of-competition control in February.
He was tested on February 26, two days after racing the Tour Cyclist International du Haut Var in France.
After riding the entire of Paris-Nice, Pantano then did not finish the first stage of the Volta a Catalunya and has not raced since.
The UCI said he has been suspended until the adjudication of the case.
After turning professional with Colombia-Coldeportes in 2012, Pantano went on to ride for IAM Cycling in 2015 and 2016, before joining Trek in 2017.
He has picked up four wins during his career – a stage of the Tour de Suisse, a stage of the 2016 Tour de France, the Colombian national time trial championship and a stage of last year’s Volta a Catalunya.
Trek-Segafredo released a statement after the news broke, expressing their “deep disappointment.”
Pantano can now request that his B sample be analysed.
In a statement released on Monday (April 15), the UCI said: “The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that the Colombian rider Jarlinson Pantano Gomez was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) of Erythropoietin in a sample collected during an out-of-competition control on February 26 2019.
“In accordance with UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the rider has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the affair.
“At this stage of the procedure, the UCI will not comment any further on this matter.”
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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