‘A foolish and selfish choice’ – Jarlinson Pantano’s former team-mate responds after Colombian tests positive

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.”