U23 Colombian champion Róbinson López tests positive for CERA EPO

Colombian under 23 champion, Róbinson López (Team Boyacá) faces a lengthy ban after news on Wednesday that he tested positive for blood booster CERA EPO.

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The Colombian national websites reported that 20-year-old López tested positive in an anti-doping test in August during the Vuelta a Colombia. He finished 14th overall and won the young rider classification.

The race ran over three weeks ago from August 1 to 13, but local media has not reported which day he failed the anti-doping test.

Cycling Weekly was still waiting for a reply from UCI officials when this article was published. Its Clean Sport website section had yet to be updated with the news of López's provisional suspension.

The governing body recently delivered a four-year ban to Brazilian João Marcelo Gaspar Pereira for using the same drug.

López, with his under 23 road race solo victory in February and young rider win in Colombia, was due to make the step to Europe in 2018. Unieuro-Trevigiani, one of Italy's top continental development teams, signed him.

The Vuelta a Colombia featured several top local riders and some who used to race in the WorldTour, who are now back home in smaller teams. Aristobulo Cala won the overall by 12-04 minutes over López.

He comes a rural area of the Boyacá municipality, where he would train for four hours and return to work on his parents' farm growing potatoes, carrots and onions.

His Boyacá es Para Vivirla team is partly sponsored by Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España victor Nairo Quintana (Movistar). The Grand Tour star occasionally would train with the young riders and offer advice.