Italian cyclist Linda Laporta has been placed under a mandatory provisional suspension by the International Testing Agency (ITA) following an adverse analytical finding at the 2026 UAE Tour Women, casting an unwelcome shadow over women’s cycling at the start of a new season.
A sample collected on 5 February returned a positive result for enobosarm – commonly known as Ostarine – a substance classified as a non-specified anabolic agent on the WADA Prohibited List.
Laporta, 26, rides for Vini Fantini-BePink, a pro-am squad based in Italy. She finished 50th overall at the UAE Tour Women, the race where the sample was collected.
The substance at the center of the case is far from a household name in cycling circles. Ostarine has been shown to increase lean body mass and promote muscle growth, and can be used medically to treat muscle wasting and osteoporosis. Despite this potential, it has not passed the clinical trials needed for medical approval – and remains unapproved for human use.
This hasn’t stopped it reaching athletes. Black market manufacturers package Ostarine as a sports supplement – often labelled “for research purposes” – or included off-label in contaminated supplements.
Complicating matters for athletes and anti-doping agencies, research shows Ostarine can easily transfer between people inadvertently – via body fluids like saliva and sweat.
Laporta has the right to request analysis of her B-sample. If the B-sample confirms the initial finding, or if she declines to request it, the ITA case will proceed as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation.
Although most doping incidents involve men, cases in women’s cycling are rising. Last year Giro Femenino Uruguay organizers were shocked after three top podium finishers were banned for doping – Johanna Bracco, Dolores Rodriguez Rey, and Fabiana Granizal.
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