In a field of 56 amateur cyclists Ty Kurth (FRANCO FACTORY RACING P/B BRIGHTLEAF HOMES) finished 5th at the Illinois Cyclocross State Championship in December, 2018. As a 40-year old, this was his crowning achievement in 81 races over 8 years.
Unfortunately, it is now just another footnote in amateur doping history.
The United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) recently reported that Kurth tested positive for testosterone as the result of an in-competition urine sample collected at the at the event and has sentenced Kurth to a 2-year ban from competition until December 2020.
After the positive test, Kurth presented information to USADA saying his positive test was caused by prescribed medication containing testosterone, which he was using to treat a medical condition under the care of a physician.
It did not matter.
For USADA, the anti-doping rules are unambiguous. Athletes may not take a banned substance, even at the direction of a physician, without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) on file, which Kurth did not have.
The 2020 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods published by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) is now available.
For athletes with a legitimate medical reason for using a prohibited substance or method on the list, they may be accommodated if they meet the criteria outlined in the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE).
GRAN FONDO DAILY NEWS 