Manzana Postobon team suspended as second rider gives adverse reading

Their rider Juan José Amador was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) during an out-of-competition control held in October 2018
Jonny Long

The Manzana Postobon team will be suspended after two of their riders returned Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF) during out-of-competition testing in the same twelve-month period.

Juan José Amador was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid) in a sample collected during an out-of-competition test held on 22 October 2018. This was the second AAF for a member of the Colombian team, after Wilmar Paredes was notified by the UCI of an AAF for EPO in a sample collected during an out-of-competition control held on 27 February 2019.

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Because the team have had two riders return AAFs within the same twelve-months, the UCI automatically trigger an anti-doping rule that provides for the suspension of the team for a period of between 15 to 45 days. The UCI have said they will “refer the matter to the Disciplinary Commission which will render a decision in due course”.

Amador has the right to request and attend the analysis of his B sample, but is provisionally suspended until the process has been resolved.

The UCI used the same press release to announce a further Colombian rider, Alex Cano, has been notified of an abnormality being detected in his biological passport.

The Colombian team are due to race in the Tour de l’Ain on Friday May 24, but whether they still will remains to be seen.

In recent doping news, riders were pulled from the Giro d’Italia and Tour of California after being linked to the Austrian blood doping scandal. The UCI published four names believed to be connected to the case, with Kristijan Koren (Bahrain-Merida) being pulled from the Giro and Kristijan Đurasek (UAE Team Emirates) pulled from the Tour of California with both provisionally suspended from competing.

The UCI said it had been notified of potential anti-doping rule violations (ADVR) by both riders, as well as retired Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi and Borut Božič, who both work as sports directors for the Bahrain-Merida team.

The UCI said on the subject: “Based on information received from the law enforcement authorities of Austria, the UCI has notified these individuals of potential anti-doping rule violations. The UCI has also provisionally suspended the above-mentioned individuals.”

Manzana Postobon have been contacted for comment.