The Red Hook Criterium series may now be international and a major brand, but it's still niche racing. Yet it has turned up a positive test for EPO.
Synonymous with horrific crashes because the riders compete on fixed wheel bikes with no brakes, the Red Hook Criterium has now announced a positive dope test.
One of the riders who took part in the Milan event last month returned an adverse result for EPO.
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Colombian Mario Paz Duque (22) finished in a lowly 38th in the event and tested positive in an in-competition test.
He has finished in the top 10 in several of the Red Hook crits, with a best result of 2nd in Barcelona last year.
While the races are fiercely contested they are effectively niche events, though Paz Duque is registered with a Continental road team in his home nation.
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“It’s unfortunate; we always wanted to believe that the Red Hook Crit represented a new way in cycling," said series founder David Trimble.
"But you can’t be naive. When we started to get crossover from road racing we knew it was a risk.
“Obviously this news sucks but it shows that we’re taking it seriously.
“If someone is thinking of doping and coming to the Red Hook Criterium, they’re going to be worried now.”
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Mario Paz Duque poses for a photo with some of his compatriots. He's now returned a positive result for EPO.
The positive test in a race of this nature follows a pattern of an increasing number of amateurs testing positive as the anti doping authorities move testing into domestic racing.
The Red Hook Criterium in Milan hit the headlines when one of the riders had a meltdown after crashing, throwing down his carbon bike in disgust and breaking it to pieces.
It later emerged the bike had been loaned to him by a friend.
However, news that one of the riders had been taking EPO overshadows the event.
The organisers confirmed the positive dope test in a statement earlier today in which they also said they were determined to enforce anti doping regulations.
Paz Duque has been disqualified from the result and banned from all of the race organisers’ international series of Red Hook Criteriums.
And the results of the test have also been passed to his national anti doping authorities. The organisers have also said they will now carry out new out of competition tests on those riding the events.
"We encourage all race organisers in the track bike criterium community to recognise our anti-doping sanctions," it said in its statement.
“As a reminder, taking performance enhancing drugs is not only unfair, it also has dangerous health implications.
“We encourage teammates, friends and team managers to report any known doping use.
“The RHC is founded on the principles of pure competition, and we are committed to keeping our sport clean.”
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