The International Cycling Union (UCI) has suspended Mexican Geraldo Ulloa and Brazilian Guilherme Gotardelo Müller after both riders violated World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, according to press releases.

27 year-old Ulloa, an 8x Mexican National MTB champion and winner of the 2021 El Tour de Tucson gran fondo, has been suspended by for 18 months, until 25 January 2025, after violating anti-doping rules for a third time by failing to provide location information and/or missing required anti-doping tests. As an experienced rider very familiar with anti-doing procedures, Ulloa was found guilty of violating WADA’s 2.4 “Whereabouts” article. As unannounced out-of-competition testing is at the core of effective doping control, article 2.4 requires athletes that have been identified for out-of-competition testing, like Ulloa, to provide and update information on their whereabouts at all times so they can be located for random unannounced testing. On the announcement of his ban Ullua took to X-Twitter, simply saying the three violations were, “Unfortunately, due to carelessness.”

The UCI also preliminarily suspended 2022 Brazilian MTB National Champion Guilherme Gotardelo Müller, 30, due to irregular changes in his biological passport between February and April 2022 that could indicate blood transfusions, a WADA prohibited method of genetic doping. Blood transfusions are one of the most effective methods to increase the number of red blood cells in athletes, and thereby enhance performance in endurance events like cycling. Gotadelo posted on Instagram that his conscience is clear and he will contest the allegation, saying he suffered significant blood loss from hemorrhoids that caused a drop in biological passport markers. So far, the UCI has not accepted this as a plausible explanation.

Photo Credit: AZ DailyStar, Audax Racing

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