Samuel Sanchez had been due to ride the Vuelta with his team BMC Racing. However, he has been pulled from the event and provisionally suspended after an adverse dope test result that has just emerged today.
Samuel Sanchez of BMC tests positive for GHRP-2
Samuel Sánchez has been pulled from the BMC Racing team for the Vuelta after testing positive for growth hormone releasing peptide GHRP-2.
He returned the adverse test result at an out of competition test on August 9th, the UCI has said.
Now aged 38 years, he was in his 18th season as a professional. He became Olympic road races champion in Beijing in 2008.
“The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that Spanish rider Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) of GHRP-2* in a sample collected in the scope of out-of-competition control on 9 August 2017,” the UCI said in a statement.
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“The doping control was planned and carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), the independent body mandated by the UCI, in charge of defining and implementing the anti-doping strategy in cycling.
“The rider has the right to request and attend the analysis of the B sample.
“In accordance with UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the rider has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the affair.”
BMC Racing, which is getting ready for the Vuelta, also released a statement. It reiterated its zero tolerance for doping.
“BMC Racing Team was notified on Thursday, 17 August by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) of a potential anti-doping violation for the presence of GHRP-2 and its metabolite, in an out-of-race anti-doping control for Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez,” it said.
“In accordance with BMC Racing Team's zero tolerance policy and UCI regulation, Sánchez has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect.
“Until the results of the B sample are provided, no further action will be taken.
“All riders and staff are held to the highest ethical standard and BMC Racing Team is extremely disappointed to share this news on the eve of the Vuelta a España.
“Loïc Vliegen will replace Sánchez at the Vuelta a España.”
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