Spanish news outlet ciclo21.com has reported that Delio Fernández Cruz, a cyclist currently under provisional suspension by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for alleged use of prohibited methods or substances, may have committed a new anti-doping violation by participating in the Sestelo-Clásica Álvaro Pino granfondo on Sunday 24 May 2026 in Ponteareas, Galicia.
Fernández’s case was first flagged by Gran Fondo Daily News in July 2025, when the UCI placed the then-39-year-old, a longtime team leader for the Portuguese development squad AP Hotels & Resorts-Tavira-SC Farense, on its Provisionally Suspended list. He had announced his retirement from racing just days earlier, in April 2025.
According to the event’s published regulations, riders could enter the Clásica Álvaro Pino with either a current federation racing licence or by purchasing a one-day licence issued by the Galician Cycling Federation, the local sanctioning body affiliated with the Spanish Cycling Federation and the UCI. Ciclo21 reports that, unable to obtain a valid racing licence because of his suspension, Fernández choose the one-day option to register, receive a bib number and compete.
Official results confirm that a rider listed as Delio Fernandez Cruz under bib number 7 finished 18th overall on the race’s 20 km competitive timed segment in 47 minutes 36 seconds — 3 minutes 40 seconds behind winner Ubaldo Rodríguez de Oliveira.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, athletes who compete while provisionally suspended face additional consequences on top of their original violation. Article 10.14.3 specifies that any results achieved during a period of ineligibility are automatically disqualified, while violations of the terms of a suspension may be considered in subsequent disciplinary proceedings, potentially extending an athlete’s period of ineligibility. WADA guidance also places responsibility on event organisers and national federations to verify athlete eligibility before allowing entry, a requirement that Ciclo21 suggests was not met in this case.
Neither the UCI nor its independent anti-doping partner, the International Testing Agency (ITA), has publicly commented on the report.
Photo Credit: Facebook/Delio.ciclista, Clásica Álvaro Pino
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