Italian amateur mountain biker Marco Serpi has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for Carboxy-THC, the primary urinary metabolite of cannabis, following a post-race doping control conducted by NADO Italia.
Italy’s Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping (TNA) accepted a request from the Procura Nazionale Antidoping and on 15 May imposed a provisional suspension under Article 2.1 of the anti-doping code, which covers the presence of a prohibited substance in an athlete’s sample.
The 31-year-old Sardinian, registered with the Federazione Ciclistica Italiana and racing for Arkitano MTB Club, competed at the Capoliveri Legend Cup on Saturday 10 May 2026 on Elba Island. The UCI HC-category XCM race, held alongside the HERO UCI Cross-Country Marathon World Cup, was won Davide Meggiolaro of Cicli Fortuna Team Bike in 3:31:56, while Serpi finished 61st in 4:11:27.
Under WADA regulations, cannabis is prohibited in-competition.
Carboxy-THC, a fat-soluble metabolite detectable for days or weeks after consumption, has a reporting threshold of 180 ng/mL in urine — a level specifically set to avoid penalising out-of-competition recreational use. A positive finding therefore indicates use close to or during competition.
Serpi had been a consistent performer on the Sardinian MTB circuit, winning events including the Trofeo Città di Sennori for Arkitano MTB. As recently as April 2026, he was described as delivering an impeccable performance at the Cross Country in Pineta race.
A provisional suspension is not a final sanction. Serpi retains the right to request analysis of his B-sample and to contest the charge before the TNA.
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