Russian Pro Continental team to wait until after MPCC meeting before confirming racing programme
Following the news that three of its riders had tested positive at the Russian national championships last month, the Rusvelo team has blamed one of its doctors and has withdrawn the squad from this weekend’s Giro dell Appennino.
Earlier today, the team confirmed that it would take part in the race, announcing its lineup, but hours later then backtracked on that and said that it would not participate.
It referred to its membership of the MPCC (Movement for Credible Cycling) anti-doping group, which it joined over the winter.
“Considering the circumstances that three of the team riders – Roman Maikin, Andrey Solomennikov and Artem Ovechkin, recently tested positive for the in-competition prohibited substance fenoterol, the team management as a sign of respect to other teams and according to rules of MPCC, made a decision to refuse from competition in the Giro dell Appennino race which starts tomorrow, 14 July,” it said in an announcement.
Under MPCC rules, teams should automatically suspend themselves when there have been several positive cases.
It said that its participation in further races would be decided next week, following a board meeting of the MPCC.
The three riders provided positive A samples at the championships, which took place between June 21st and June 23rd in Samara. Ovechkin was third in the time trial, while Solomennikov and Maikin were third and sixteenth respectively in the road race.
The team said in a statement yesterday that its doctor had prescribed an asthma medication containing fenoterol, which is banned in competition. It said that he would be sanctioned as a result of the matter, which it referred to as a mistake.
In April another of its riders, Valery Kaykov, was provisionally suspended after he had a positive A sample for the unapproved black market substance GW501516.
Despite its four positive tests this year, it insisted that it is committed to racing without banned substances. “The Rusvelo Team management reminds once again that the fundamental principle of the team's ideology is zero tolerance to doping,” it said today. “We are in support of clean cycling and fully committed to adhere to this stance in the future.”