Eight riders return positive tests from the Vuelta a Colombia

The UCI are crediting “intelligence led” doping controls at August’s Vuelta a Colombia for helping catch eight riders who were using banned substances. On Tuesday, the UCI added the names of seven riders to that of Colombian U23 champion Róbinson López (Loteria de Boyaca) to the list of athletes who tested positive at the 12 stage race.

Last week it was announced that López had tested positive for the EPO variant known as Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator (CERA). Six other riders were also caught using the banned doping substance at the race.

The blood sample of Luis Alberto Largo Quintero, Jonathan Felipe Paredes Hernandez, Edward Fabian Diaz Cardenas, Fabio Nelson Montenegro Forero, Luis Camargo Flechas, Fabian Robinson Lopez Rivera and Oscar Soliz Vilca collected on August 1 and 2 revealed the presence of CERA leading to an adverse analytical finding. Juan Carlos Cadena Sastoque also returned a positive test for the anabolic steroid metabolites 19-noretiocholanolone and 19-norandrosterone on August 11.

All the athletes have been provincially suspended and have the right to have their B sample tested. The controls were carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), an independent body in charge of anti-doping strategy

The Colombian stage race is ranked UCI 2.2 on the America Tour and was won by Aristobulo Cala