Tour de France stage winner Jarlinson Pantano suspended after failing drug test

Tour de France stage winner Jarlinson Pantano has been suspended after failing a drug test.

The Colombian returned an adverse analytical finding for EPO during an out-of-competition doping control in February.

Pantano’s Trek-Segafredo team said the news is a “deep disappointment.”

In a statement released on Monday (April 15), the team said: “It is with deep disappointment that we have just learned that our rider Jarlinson Pantano has been notified of an adverse analytical finding in a sample collection during an anti-doping control carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation.

“In accordance with our zero tolerance policy, he has been suspended immediately.

“We hold our riders and staff to the highest ethical standards and will act and communicate accordingly as more details become available.”

The 30-year-old was tested on February 26, two days after racing the Tour Cyclist International du Haut Var in France.

He returned an adverse analytical finding for Erythropoietin (EPO) in the control, which was carried out by the independent body the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation which defines and implements anti-doping policy in cycling.

In a statement released on Monday, 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 26 February 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.”

Pantano can now request that his B sample by analysed.

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.