42-year-old gran fondo racer Guido Paolo Dracone (ASD CICLO COPRARO) closed out his 2018 season with a strong performance at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Varese, Italy where he finished 8th in his age group.
He was optimistic about the 2019 season, but a bout of health problems slowed down his training until late May when Dracone came roaring back with a victory at the Crono delle Fraziono time trial.
Afterwards, the Italian National Anti Doping Organization (NADO) ordered an out-of-competition drug test that was performed on June 26th, 2019.
The test was positive for the substances recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) and Clenbuterol, requiring preliminary suspension of Dracone from competition until the case could be heard in court.
After the out-of-competition drug test on June 26th and before his suspension on July 26th, Dracone continued racing at some of biggest and most prestigious Italian gran fondos: La Fausto Coppi Gran Fondo on June 30th where he finished 6th overall, Maratona dles Dolomites Gran Fondo on July 7th where he finished 11th overall and La Leggendaria Charly Gaul Gran Fondo where he finished 8th overall on July 14th.
Dracone also finished 3rd in the medio race at Ti-Rex Granfondo del Penice, beating fellow racer Sergio Viola (ASD TEAM MEDIA BIKE) who recently tested positive for EPO too.
If the doping charges stand, Dracone will forfeit these results and may be contractually obligated to pay 50,000 euros to the Maratona dles Dolomites organizers for damages caused to their brand via rider doping.
GRAN FONDO DAILY NEWS 