Juan José Amador refuses to accept positive test as Manzana Postobon stick by rider

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Juan José Amador has said that he does not accept the adverse analytical finding (AAF) for Boldenone of which he was notified by the UCI on Monday. Meanwhile, the Manzana Postobón team, who immediately fired Wilmar Paredes last month after a positive test for EPO, have suspended Amador but say they will stick by their rider and seek a resolution in the case.

The UCI announced on Monday that Amador had tested positive for Boldenone, a steroid, in an out-of-competition doping control taken on October 22 last year. The Colombian has been provisionally suspended by the UCI and has the right to request analysis of his B-sample. Given that this represents a second AAF for Manzana Postobón within a 12-month period, the team as a whole will be suspended by the UCI for a period of between 15 and 45 days. The team stated that they will "accept whatever decisions the UCI may take".

Amador posted a statement of his own on social media soon after the UCI announcement, in which he protested his innocence.

"Since I was a child I’ve found myself in the Manzana Postobón team, and during my time there they have instilled in me that fair play and being an upstanding sportsman are the principal values of the team, values with which I identify through my outlook on life," he said.

"A press release reached me, in which presumably one of my tests has come back positive for Boldenone, which I do not accept. The test was carried out seven months ago and only now do these results arrive, which I reiterate that I do not accept. I feel calm at the news since my career has always been built on a transparent effort."

The statement was retweeted by Manzana Postobón team manager Luis Fernando Saldarriaga, and the team issued their own statement in which they voiced their desire to work towards a resolution in the case. While Paredes had his contract terminated with immediate effect, Amador has been suspended from racing but remains part of the team and will have their backing when it comes to trying to clear his name.

"After learning of the adverse analytical finding for Juan Jose Amador from cycling’s governing body, the UCI, The Pro Continental Manzana Postobón Team take the decision to immediately suspend the rider until the situation is resolved," read the statement from the team.

"The Manzana Postobón team will stick by the rider in this difficult situation, until we are able to come to a definitive conclusion with respect to the adverse analytical finding."

The team have always voiced their commitment to clean cycling, running their own internal testing programme along with subscribing to the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC). They have stated an aim to 'restore trust' in cycling in Colombia, but the second positive test in two months comes as a blow to their reputation. In between the two, Sebastian Molano, who left the team for UAE Team Emirates this year, was pulled from the Giro d'Italia after internal testing revealed 'seemingly unusual physiological results'.

"The Manzana Postobón team reiterate that we remain true to our philosophy of respect for clean cycling, free from doping, based on our values of ethics and transparency, which have always been instilled in all members, based on the regulations of the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC)," the statement continued. "The Manzana Postobón team will be in contact with the UCI and all stakeholders in the fight against doping in order to collaborate in the resolution of this adverse finding.

"The Manzana Postobón team accepts whatever decisions the UCI may take."