Nairo Quintana disqualified from the Tour de France 2022 after two positive tramadol tests – Liberation

Nairo Quintana has known better stories with the Tour. Second in the Great Loop in 2013 and 2015, the Colombian rider from Arkéa-Samsic was “disqualified from Tour de France 2022»in which he was ranked sixth, for a medical offense, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Wednesday. “Colombian rider Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas has been penalized for violating the ban on the use of tramadol in competition”details the UCI in its press release.

The analyzes of “two dried blood samples provided by the runner on July 8 and 13” last have “revealed the presence of tramadol and its two main metabolites”, explains the UCI. The authority specifies however that it is not a question of “anti-doping rule violations” but D’“breaches of the UCI Medical Regulations” and that the runner can appeal the decision. Otherwise, “as it is a first offence”Nairo Quintana “is not declared ineligible and may therefore take part in competitions”. The Colombian must also take part in the Vuelta 2022, which begins this Friday.

A painkiller banned in competition

The use in competition of tramadol, a painkiller from the opioid family, has been banned in all cycling disciplines since March 1, 2019. Until then, it was often used by runners, as evidenced by the data listed in the monitoring program of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2012. Its ban aims “to preserve the health and safety of the runner in light of the side effects of tramadol”, explained the UCI at the time. The court justified its reversal of this painkiller because of the side effects that the substance can cause, in particular the risks of drowsiness and loss of attention which increase the risk of falling while running, as well as the risks of progressive addiction to the substance. on the other hand.

Winner of the Giro 2014 and the Vuelta 2016, Nairo Quintana had fallen sharply behind last year on the Tour (28th), before regaining confidence at the start of the season and putting on a good show during the last edition of the Big loop. Until its decommissioning of the day. This decision notably benefits two Frenchmen: Romain Bardet (DSM), 7th in Paris, takes the place of the Colombian, while Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) joins the top 10 overall. Above all, this eviction comes when the 32-year-old Colombian had just extended with his Arkéa-Samsic team until 2025, with whom he has won 11 victories since his arrival in 2020.

Quintana already in the crosshairs in 2020

This is not the first time that Quintana’s name has been embroiled in suspicion of prohibited medical practices. Two years ago, on the Tour de France 2020, his team Arkéa Samsic had been the subject of a search by investigators from Oclaesp, the Central Office for the fight against damage to the environment and health. public, in Méribel, during the 17th stage. With big suspicions around the Colombian leader. Dayer Quintana, Nairo’s brother and teammate in the Breton formation, was one of the targeted runners. A few days later, members of the management had been placed in police custody, as part of an investigation opened by the public health department of the Marseille prosecutor’s office for suspicion of doping practices.

Shortly after these police custody, Nairo Quintana defended himself in a press release: “no doping substance has ever been found […]. I have nothing to hide and have never had anything to hide”pleaded the Colombian climber. “The authorities came to my room and found perfectly legal vitamin-rich food supplements there, even though they were not known to the French authorities”he explained again, before hammering: “I have been a clean runner all my sporting life.” We can no longer say that, although everything depends on the definition we give to “own”.