March 11/10 10:47 am - U23 Cyclo-cross Worlds 1-2 Finishers Suspended

Posted by Editor on 03/11/10
 

The UCI has advised the Polish riders Pawel Szczepaniak and Kacper Szczepaniak that they are provisionally suspended. The decisions to provisionally suspend Messrs Pawel and Kacper Szczepaniak were made in response to reports from the WADA accredited laboratory in Seibersdorf indicating two Adverse Analytical Findings of Recombinant EPO in the urine samples collected from them at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, which took place in Tabor, the Czech Republic, on January 30th and 31st.

These adverse findings were a direct result of a targeted urine test conducted after the Under-23 race in which P. and K. Szczepaniak finished respectively first and second.

The blood samples collected before the event from P. and K. Szczepaniak had already shown, within the biological passport programme, that the blood profiles of these two riders were suspect.

The provisional suspensions remain in force until a hearing panel convened by the Polish Cycling Federation determines whether Mssrs P. and K. Szczepaniak have committed an anti-doping rule violation under Article 21 of the UCI Anti-Doping Rules.

Mssrs P. and K. Szczepaniak have the right to request and attend the analyses of their B samples.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the UCI is unable to provide any additional information at this time.

Courtesy UCI

Note:  If upheld, this would move bronze medalist Arnaud Jouffroy of France into the rainbow jersey, Tom Meeusen (Belgium) into second and Marek Konwa (Poland) into third.