Uruguay’s cycling scene is once again in turmoil. The Uruguayan Cycling Federation (FUC) announced three new adverse analytical findings on Wednesday, following official notification from the country’s national anti-doping organisation, ONAU. The controls were conducted on 31 January 2026, with test results released after the country’s premier race, Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay, closing out the domestic season.
Details of the alleged adverse analytical findings were not disclosed, but the three provisionally suspended riders offer very different cycling profiles. Roderyck Asconeguy Díaz, 35, born in Trinidad, is the son of three-time Vuelta Ciclista champion José Asconeguy. He is a former Uruguayan national road champion (2021) and South American Games silver medallist (2022), and was ranked number one in the FUC national rankings as recently as March 2026. He finished tenth overall in the 2024 Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay.
Diego Andrés Jamen Ivaldi, born 10 August 1996 (now 29), is a road and track cyclist who competes for Club Ciclista San Antonio. At the 2025 Track World Championships in Santiago de Chile, he broke the Uruguayan national individual pursuit record, clocking 4:27.779 over four kilometres. He also won the King of the Mountains classification at the 2024 Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay.
Santiago Gabriel Pérez Helguera, a 21-year-old rider for Club Ciclista Alas Rojas de Santa Lucía, was awarded the “Olympic Promise” prize at the 2024 Vuelta Ciclista and finished seventh overall—one of the strongest U23 performances in the race.
These cases deepen an already troubling pattern. At the 2024 Giro Fem Uruguay, both top finishers were banned: champion Johanna Bracco (EPO, until September 2028) and runner-up Dolores Rodríguez Rey (five substances, until December 2028). The 2022 winner, Fabiana Granizal, also received a four-year ban for phenmetrazine.
The provisional suspensions are precautionary measures pending full proceedings. All three men are presumed innocent until their cases conclude.
Photo Credit: stock
© 2026 Copyright Gran Fondo Daily News – All Rights Reserved