UCI statement concerning Michele Gazzoli

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that the Italian rider Michele Gazzoli has been sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of one year for a non-intentional Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

The matter arises as a result of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for Tuaminoheptane* in a sample collected in-competition on 17 February 2022 by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on behalf of the UCI.

In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules (UCI ADR), the period of ineligibility started on 10 August 2022 and is effective until 9 August 2023 (included).

Michele Gazzoli has also been disqualified from all competitive results obtained at the 2022 Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta.

The case has been resolved by way of an acceptance of consequences as provided for by the Code and the UCI ADR.

The UCI will not comment any further.

* Tuaminoheptane is a Prohibited Substance listed under class S6 (Stimulants) of the Prohibited List which is maintained by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and adopted by the UCI. The UCI systematically reports potential anti-doping rule violations via its website when a mandatory provisional suspension applies. In cases where there is no provisional suspension, the UCI publicly discloses anti-doping rule violations only at the end of the proceedings, unless the existence of the AAF is made public by another party before a decision is rendered. Pursuant to Article 6.2.2 of the UCI Regulations for Results Management, the presence of a specified substance such as Tuaminoheptane in a sample does not result in the imposition of a mandatory provisional suspension against the rider, therefore the rider’s AAF has not been publicly disclosed until now.