Colombian rider Germán Dário Gómez has been cleared of fault or negligence in his anti-doping case, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced on Friday 25 September 2026, bringing an end to a saga that began nearly nine months ago.
The 24-year-old, who rides for POLTI-VISIT MALTA, was provisionally suspended in late January after an out-of-competition sample collected on Sunday 28 December 2025 returned an adverse analytical finding for boldenone, an anabolic steroid more commonly associated with veterinary use in horses. At the time, Gómez publicly denied wrongdoing, calling the suspension a total surprise and insisting he had always raced clean.
According to the ITA, which manages anti-doping matters on behalf of the UCI, the results management process ultimately established that the boldenone entered his system through contaminated meat consumed while he was in Colombia. Because the sample was collected out of competition, no results were subject to disqualification.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, boldenone is a non-specified substance that normally carries a four-year period of ineligibility unless the athlete can establish that the violation was not intentional and that they bear no fault or negligence. Gómez succeeded in proving both, meeting the strict standard for “No Fault or Negligence.” This means he did not know, and could not reasonably have known, that he had ingested a prohibited substance. As a result, no period of ineligibility was imposed, and he can return to competition with immediate effect.
The decision may still be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although the ITA says the matter is otherwise resolved.
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