Katusha’s Luca Paolini suspended 18-months for cocaine use

The day after the UCI provisionally suspended Italian rider Mattia Gavazzi (Amore & Vita-Selle SMP) for a cocaine positive taken at the Tour of Qinghai Lake in 2015, cycling’s governing body suspended last season’s Gent-Wevelgem winner Luca Paolini (Italy/Katusha) for 18-months for cocaine use. The UCI issued a statement on its website Wednesday.

Paolini admitted in December of last year to using cocaine to battle the effects of a sleeping pill addiction. He initially faced a two-year ban and had his hearing with the UCI’s Anti-Doping Tribunal in March.

Katusha, which tore up his contract after a positive test in the 2015 Tour de France, said it won’t have the 39-year-old back. Besides winning Gent-Wevelgem and wearing the pink jersey in the 2013 Giro d’Italia after winning a stage, Paolini was a workhorse for Alexander Kristoff.

Paolini was one of 16,000 riders who took part in the Tour of Flanders Cyclosportif on April 2.

Some familiar faces this morning at the start of the Ronde Van Vlaanderen Cyclo. #rvv #cycling #cyclinginflanders @… pic.twitter.com/ndoLcGWkg9

— Cycling In Flanders (@cyclingflanders) April 2, 2016