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Molano suspended by UAE Team Emirates during Giro d'Italia after internal testing

published 14 May 2019

Colombian leaves the race after 'seemingly unusual physiological results'

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Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

UAE Team Emirates have suspended Juan Sebastian Molano, saying the team’s internal monitoring system has highlighted "seemingly unusual physiological results".

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24-year-old Molano was riding the Giro d’Italia as part of the UAE Team Emirates line-up but did not start stage 4 to Frascati on Tuesday morning. He was a lead-out rider Fernando Gaviria on stage 3, with the Colombian winning the sprint after Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-QuickStep) was relegated for changing his line in the final metres.

UAE Team Emirates refused to confirm if the "physiological results" were blood tests or if the case was linked to Molano’s UCI Biological Passport. The UCI’s longitudinal blood tests are primarily used to monitor riders' blood values and detect doping but can also help spot illness.

A UAE Team Emirates press release said: "Following Team policy concerning the protection of our athletes’ health, the Colombian will be suspended to undergo further testing in the following weeks, in collaboration with the UCI, as we try to determine the cause of these unusual results.

"In order to protect the right to privacy, no further information regarding the matter will be released until results from the necessary tests come back."

Molano secured a place in the UAE Team Emirates Giro line-up after two top five places at the Giro di Sicilia and a sixth place at the Presidential Tour of Turkey. He joined UAE Team Emirates after three seasons with the Manzana Postobon team, where last year he won five sprints in China at the Tour of China and the Tour of Taihu Lake. He won stage 3 of the Colombia 2.1 stage race in February.

In 2014 Team Sky suspended Colombia’s Sergio Henao after anomalous blood values. He was cleared to race after undergoing an independent blood profile review and tests to measure his reaction to altitude. The UCI opened a Biological Passport case against Henao and he was suspended again in 2016. Henao and Team Sky supplied evidence in his defence and the UCI closed the case.