Kanstantsin Siutsou tests positive for EPO in targeted doping control
36-year-old Bahrain-Merida rider and former member of Team Sky tests positive in out of competition doping control
Belarussian Kanstantsin Siutsou of Bahrain-Merida has tested positive for EPO. The 36-year-old has ridden for a number of programs over the course of his career including HTC-High Road, Team Sky and Team Dimension Data before joining Bahrain-Merida. The adverse analytical finding for the banned substance sees the veteran provincially suspended putting the remainder of his career at risk.
The positive A sample came from an out-of-competition control on July 31, 2018 and the UCI says the test was “planned and carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF).” Whether the test was targetted is yet to be seen but Siutsou had not competed since the Tour of Austria when the sample was taken where he finished 61st overall. The next week he would be a DNF at the Classica San Sebastian.
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Siutsou had a strong start of the season winning a stage and the overall at the Tour of Croatia. He then crashed breaking a vertebra the day before the opening team time trial at the Giro d’Italia sidelining him untilt he Belarussian national championships.
Following the news of the positive A sample, Bahrain-Merida suspended Siutsou and announced that the team had no plans to renew his contract which expires at the end of the season.
“We hold our riders and staff to the highest ethical standards,” the team said in a press release.
The sentiment was echoed by team manager Brent Copeland. “This news is terribly disappointing, we are very severe with any wrongdoing with regards to our internal health code, this behaviour is not accepted by our team and further procedures will be taken against the rider,” he said.
Siutsou has the right to request an analysis of his B sample.
