UCI moves to suspend Caja Rural after second doping case

The UCI Professional Continental Team Caja Rural - Seguros RGA is facing a 15 to 45 day suspension after a second rider was charged with an anti-doping rule violation within the same 12-month period.

As reported on yesterday’s live blog, last year's Portuguese national champion, Domingo Goncalves, has been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping rule violation for use of a prohibited substance based on abnormalities from 2016 and 2018 that were detected in his biological passport.

In February, Spanish rider Jaime Roson was banned from the sport for four years following an adverse analytical finding in his biological passport dating back to January 2017.

Roson was actually midway through a since-cancelled four-year contract with Movistar when he was suspended, but the offence occurred while he was riding for Caja Rural.

Goncalves’ case therefore constitutes the second anti-doping rule violation for the team within a twelve-month period (2016-2017) and so triggers a team suspension of between 15 and 45 days.

The case has been referred to the UCI Disciplinary Commission which will render a decision “in due course.”

In a statement, Caja Rural said it had already ended Goncalves’ contract ahead of the 2020 season.