EF Pro Cycling team boss Jonathan Vaughters has said the dope testing system in cycling must become more transparent after suspending one of his riders over an adverse dope test result.
Young Mexican rider Luis Ricardo Villalobos Hernandez (21) returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for the growth hormone GHRP-6 in an out of competition sample collected by the Mexican anti doping authorities on April 25th, 2019.
It has only now emerged he returned an AAF; news of his result revealed 13 months later and only after EF Pro Cycling signed the rider, on a three-year deal, not knowing anything about the doping process against him.
The Mexican began riding for EF Pro Cycling last August, over three months after the sample was taken from him that has now returned an AAF.
The UCI confirmed the AAF, adding: "The rider has the right to request and attend the opening and analysis of the B sample.
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"In accordance with UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the rider has been provisionally suspended until the adjudication of the procedure is completed.
"At this stage of the procedure, the UCI will not comment any further."
Vaughters said he never would have signed the rider had he known what was going on and said the team was examining its legal options over the very long delay in being notified.
He added the substance indicated by an analysis of the rider's A sample can only be detected by Wada-accredited labs and that teams were not permitted to use those labs in their internal screening processes.
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Villalobos rode for the US-based Continental team Aevolo for 2½ years and was with that team at the time he returned the AAF. He has twice been Mexican TT champion.
The UCI said the AAF emerged after the sample taken from Villalobos was re-analysed by Wada.
While the timeline for the whole process was not immediately clear, Vaughters has said a be a better way to do things must be found.
“This team was set up to protect the health and the
rights of riders across the sport, particularly the younger riders as they
entered the professional level,” he said in a statement.
“It’s hugely upsetting for us when these young riders
fall under the guidance of amateur doctors and trainers who ultimately ruin
their careers.
"If we’d have known, we would not have signed Luis," Vaughters added of the rider he had now suspended from the team indefinitely.
"The burden of this is on the UCI because there is
no internal testing program that has access to the level of equipment needed to
screen for GHRP-6.
"Everyone deserves better. Luis deserved better
guidance and mentoring from his past trainers and doctors. And the team
deserved better from the UCI than to learn of this situation more than a year
after the fact.
"While it’s encouraging that the system is catching
riders, it has to be more transparent and accountable than this. We are going
to encourage Luis to not fight this and to tell the truth, whatever that may
be."
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