Nairo Quintana denies tramadol use and confirms Vuelta a España participation

HAUTACAM FRANCE JULY 21 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas of Colombia and Team Arka Samsic crosses the finish line during the 109th Tour de France 2022 Stage 18 a 1432km stage from Lourdes to Hautacam 1520m TDF2022 WorldTour on July 21 2022 in Hautacam France Photo by Dario BelingheriGetty Images
Nairo Quintana (Image credit: Getty Images)

Nairo Quintana has denied using tramadol and confirmed his intention to ride the Vuelta a España despite testing positive for the substance at last month’s Tour de France.

The UCI announced on Wednesday that Quintana had been disqualified from his sixth-place finish at the Tour after testing positive for the pain killer on two occasions during the race. Tramadol has been banned in competition since 2019, but a positive test for the substance is classed as an infringement of UCI medical rules rather than an anti-doping violation, meaning that Quintana does not face a suspension for a first offence.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.