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news
Samuel Sanchez (picture via BMC Racing).jpgBMC sacks Samuel Sanchez after B sample proves positive, Stefano Pirazzi handed four-year ban
BMC Racing has sacked Samuel Sanchez as a result of the Spanish rider failing an anti-doping control for a growth hormone in an out-of-competition test shortly before the Vuelta began in August. Meanwhile, former Bardiani-CSF rider Stefano Pirazzi has been banned for four years after testing positive for a similar substance in April.
The 39-year-old Sanchez, 2012 Olympic champion and a past stage winner at both the Tour de France and the Vuelta, had been due to retire after this year’s edition of the Spanish race.
Just days before the race began, however, it was revealed that he had tested positive for a banned Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide (GHRP) after an anti-doping control on 9 August. His team immediately suspended him pending analysis of his B sample.
> Samuel Sanchez provisionally suspended after failing anti-doping control
In a statement released yesterday, BMC Racing said: “At the request of Sanchez, his B sample was analysed at the WADA accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“The analysis of Sanchez' B sample confirmed the presence of GHRP-2 and its metabolite, as found in his A sample.
“At that time, Sanchez' contract with the team was terminated with immediate effect.”
Pirazzi, who won the mountains classification at the 2013 Giro d’Italia and a stage in the following year’s race, was confirmed on the eve of this year’s event as having failed an anti-doping control in April.
News of the failed test broke shortly after both he and Bardiani-CSF team mate Nicola Ruffoni, who had also tested positive in an out-of-competition anti-doping control in April, had taken part in the team presentation on Sardinia.
Both were subsequently sacked by the UCI Professional Continental team, which was itself suspended from racing for 30 days from 14 June due to two of its riders having failed drugs tests.
According to the list of athletes currently serving bans for anti-doping rule violations that appears on the UCI’s website, Pirazzi has been given a four-year ban that will expire on 3 May 2021.
The name of Ruffoni, who claimed that his positive test may have been due to a prostate infection, does not yet appear on that list.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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11 comments
So problem is with the article itself, which (incorrectly) reads "The 39-year-old Sanchez, 2012 Olympic champion ...". (2012 was Kolobnev's mate and shining example of integrity Alexander Vinokourov.)
Deffo a career doper.
just imagine if you'd been beaten into 2nd, 3rd or 4th place at the 2008 Olympic RR. Now you find the winner is a dope cheat. Don't know about you guys but I'd be getting all shouty about it. Get the samples retested!
What are the chances of Fabian, Alex or Andy making a noise and asking for samples to be retested?
Sammys not the problem he's the symptom.
I doubt they'll be in a hurry.
Exactly you've got a Russian & a Schleck they'll not be asking for retest!
I hate to say it, but I doubt Cancellara would relish the prospect either, not sure if he was with Fassa or CSC back then, but either way.
I'm sorry but nobody would risk their entire career and reputation that goes with it by suddenly deciding to dope at age 39. He's obviously been at it the whole time and as anyone who's read any of the tell all confessional books published on this, ever...its not that hard to pass these tests.
The same could be said of Linford Christie who got caught at the same age
Incredible that he would risk a great career and a final lap of honour [look at the reception Alberto got despite a blot on his book also.] Well there is no smoke without fire, he can't claim accidental contamination for growth hormone, so it must mean he has been skating on thin ice his whole career.
2008 Olympic RR results:
1. Fabian Cancellara (SUI)
2. Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS)
3. Andy Schleck (LUX)
Nice one Spartacus.
Sorry if I am being obtuse but could you please clarify why you've referred to 2008 ORR results? Are you suggesting that Cancellara was doping? If yes, why pick on the 2008 ORR?
Sanches "won" the road race and if he's been doping all the time the credit should be scrubbed making Cancellara the real winner.
You need evidence that he has been doping the whole time. He must have been tested then and my guess is they still have the samples. I wonder if it is policy to retest all the samples when they find a doper?
this assumes he's not been at it his whole career