Kazakh rider banned for two years after failing to confirm whereabouts

The rider has been sanctioned without testing positive

Ilya Gorbushin at the 2015 World Championships, riding in the men's junior time trial (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA)
(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

A Kazakh rider has been banned for two years after failing to confirm his whereabouts to anti-doping authorities.

Ilya Gorbushin has been sanctioned by the Kazakhstan anti-doping body without having tested positive for a banned substance.

The 20-year-old’s ban started on September 17 and will continue until September 15, 2020.

>>> André Cardoso says he’ll fight four-year doping ban and prove his innocence

The Kazakhstan National Anti-Doping Centre (KazNADC) gives the reason for the ban on its website as "whereabouts failure"

Gorbushin, a continental level rider, is signed to the Kazakh outfit Apple Team.

He rode for Astana City continental team in 2017 before moving to Apple.

Gorbushin’s best results include a mountain classification victory at the Giro della Lunigiana in Italy and 10th place in the 2018 Kazakh national time trial championships.

He is the second Kazakh rider banned from the sport this year.

In July, Viktor Okishev was banned for eight years after testing positive for EPO out of competition.

Okishev has been pro since 2013, riding with Continental Team Astana, Keyi Look Cycling Team, and most recently Vino-Astana Motors, run by retired Kazakh cyclist and manager of the WorldTour Astana team Alexander Vinokourov.

>>> Former Bardiani-CSF pro fails to overturn growth hormone doping ban

The 24-year-old Okishev tested positive on June 17 and was banned the following month – his suspension will end on June 30, 2026.

Last week, Portugese rider André Cardoso said he plans to raise funds to fight a four-year doping ban handed down by the UCI.

Cardoso, a former Trek-Segafredo rider, tested positive for EPO in an out of competition in June last year.

In a lengthy Facebook post, the Portuguese rider hit back at the announcement, maintaining is innocence and vowing to fight on.

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Alex Ballinger

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.