The Astana Qazaqstan Development Team have fired Ilkhan Dostiyev after the 22-year-old Kazakh rider examined constructive for the blood booster drug CERA.
Dostiyev received a stage and completed second general within the prestigious Giro Ciclistico della Valle d’Aosta race in July however then was examined by anti-doping authorities, apparently out of competitors, on July 30.
He went on to win the Turul Romaniei stage race in Romania in August and rode the latest Tour of Hainan in China as a part of the Astana Qazaqstan WorldTour crew. In the spring he completed second general on the Tour du Rwanda, behind Britain’s Joe Blackmore (Israel-Premier Tech).
Dostiyev’s identify was added to the UCI checklist of suspended licence holders on September 9, with the notion confirming that Dostiyev examined constructive for CERA. He will now face an anti-doping tribunal listening to and dangers a ban of 4 years.
Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) is the generic time period for third-generation erythropoiesis-stimulating brokers that act like EPO, the drug extensively used as a blood doping drug within the nineties and past.
Riccardo Riccò examined constructive for CERA on the 2008 Tour de France, with different riders testing constructive for the drug within the years to observe. The blood-boosting good thing about CERA can, in concept, be recognized by way of WADA’s Athlete Biological Passport longitudinal blood testing.
The Astana Qazaqstan crew mentioned that Dostiyev subsequently admitted to utilizing the banned substance, and offered explanations to the crew and the UCI. He was then instantly suspended and his contract was terminated.
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The Astana Qazaqstan Development Team denied any duty.
“This information got here as a shock and disappointment to us. We trusted Ilkhan Dostiyev as one of many crew’s leaders and we had nice expectations for him, which at the moment are utterly shattered,” Alexandr Shushemoin, head directeur sportif mentioned.
“I can state with absolute certainty that the Astana Qazaqstan Development Team has no connection to this incident. Our crew adheres to a ‘zero-tolerance’ coverage, we work repeatedly with the riders and do our greatest to make sure that athletes perceive not solely the implications of utilizing doping but in addition the absurdity of trying to violate anti-doping guidelines.
“Given that Dostiyev has admitted to the anti-doping violation, the rider has been suspended from racing, and his contract has been instantly terminated. We at the moment are cooperating absolutely and overtly with all organisations concerned to make clear all the main points of what occurred.”