Jumbo-Visma have provisionally suspended Michel Hessmann after the 22-year-old German rider tested positive in an out-of-competition test carried out on June 14.
The team said Hessmann tested positive for “a diuretic that was contained in a medication” and said they would await the doping investigation.
The exact substance involved has not been disclosed.
“It was an out-of-competition check on June 14 in Germany. The detected product is a diuretic drug. We await the results of further research. Michel has been suspended by the team until further notice," Jumbo-Visma said in a statement issued on their social media channels.
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency code, Hessmann faces a ban of up to four years if he cannot explain why he tested positive for the diuretic. The ban could be reduced if he can prove a supplement was contaminated or if there were other circumstances.
Hessmann joined the Jumbo-Visma WorldTour team in 2022 after two years with the development team. He finished third overall in the 2022 Tour de l'Avenir while riding for the German national team and was part of the team that helped Primož Roglič win the Giro d’Italia.
Hessmann underwent the out of competition test on June 14, two weeks after the Giro and recently rode the Czech Tour stage race. He was selected for the German team for the elite men’s road race at the UCI World Championships but did not finish the race.
According to Wielerflits, Hessmann was scheduled to ride the BEMER Cyclassics World Tour race in Hamburg on Sunday but now won’t compete until his case is considered a final verdict decided.
