Latest anti-doping news from around the world:

NADO Italia has provisionally suspended cyclist Giuseppe Giulio Malinconico after anti-doping tests allegedly revealed the presence of the banned blood doping drug Erythropoietin (EPO), which can dramatically increase an athlete’s VO2max. A cyclist with the same name is listed in results as winning the 35-39 years old M2 Italian National Master Road Championship CSI on 29 June.

NADO Italia also provisionally suspended cyclist Pietro Ettore Badalamenti after he allegedly returned a positive anti-doping result for Prednisolone. 55-59 years old M6 category results from Festival del Ciclismo circuit race in Sicily on 27 July show a rider with the same name as the winner. Prednisolone is a banned corticosteroid that reduces inflammation in the body and reportedly can significantly increase athletic endurance.

Note: Provisionally suspended athletes are presumed innocent until an anti-doping court renders a verdict, but in the meantime they are not allowed to participate in sport in any capacity.

Swiss Sport Integrity (SSI) announced bike polo player Robin Hedley received a four-year ban after possessing and attempting to use Enclomiphen – a banned substance marketed as Testosterone boosting, but not approved for use by the European Medicines Agency or the USA Food and Drug Administration. Hedley is banned from participating in sport until 27 July 2029 and is ineligible to compete in the first UCI Bike Polo World Championships taking place in Haute-Savoie, France in 2027.

The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has banned cyclist Eugenia Tretiakova for four years after she tested positive for the prohibited substance GW1516, according to the Russian Cycling Federation. Official results for the All-Russian Championships in April show the 39 year-old winning the road race and finishing second in the hill climb. GW1516 is considered a black market substance not approved for human use, although some athletes use it to lose weight and potentially improve endurance. Tretiakova is banned from participating in sport until 26 May 2029.

How hard is it to fight doping? Just ask GFNY CEO Uli Fluhme. Although not a World Anti-Doping Agency Code signatory, since 2012 he has been an outspoken critic of doping, adopting one of the strongest anti-doping policies in the world at his gran fondo events. GFNY has entry rules to exclude current/former dopers from competing, carries out anti-doping tests and bans for life any rider caught doping. Despite GFNY’s efforts two formerly banned riders competed in the 2025 GFNY World Championships in May: overall winner Matteo Raimondi of Italy who was banned by NADO Italia in 2018 and ex-WorldTour pro Sylvain Georges of France who was banned by AFLD/UCI/CAS in 2013 and finished 16th. When contacted for comment Fluhme said, “Thanks for pointing this out. We are making an effort to prevent this from happening and decline several riders each year.”

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