Vienna: Four European cyclists, including two retired riders, have been provisionally suspended for potential doping violations following information from the Austrian law enforcement authorities, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said on Wednesday.
Slovenia’s Kristijan Koren of Team Bahrain Merida and Croatian Kristijan Durasek of UAE Team Emirates as well as former riders Alessandro Petacchi and Borut Bozic have been notified of potential Anti-Doping Rules Violations (ADRV) as part of the ‘Operation Aderlass’ investigation.
Koren is competing at the Giro d’Italia and was not allowed to start Wednesday’s stage according to the regulations.
The four are under investigation for employing prohibited doping methods between 2012 and 2017.
UAE Team Emirates have suspended 31-year-old Durasek. “The team hopes that Durasek can prove he was not involved in the affair. Should it be proven otherwise, he will be terminated immediately,” they said in a statement.
—Reuters
