The Colombian cyclist of the Arkea-Samsic team, Nairo Quintana, pedals in the final meters to the finish line of the 11th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France, 151.7 km between Albertville and Col du Granon Serre Chevalier, in France Alps, on July 13, 2022. (Credit: Thomas SAMSON/AFP)
(CNN Spanish) --
Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana, from the Arkea - Samsic team, was sanctioned by the International Cycling Union for using tramadol, a prohibited substance in official competitions, the UCI reported in a statement on Wednesday.
The substance would have been used during the 2022 Tour de France, according to the UCI.
The UCI established that Quintana was disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France, a decision that the Colombian cyclist will be able to appeal in the next 10 days, the statement said.
The blood samples were provided by the Colombian cyclist on July 8 and 13, during the 2022 Tour de France. In these tests they are collected by the International Testing Agency (ITA) through a drop of blood extracted from the yolk of the cyclist's finger.
Nairo Quintana, the Colombian cyclist who does not give up, was the best Latin American in the 2022 Tour de France
The results were the presence of tramadol and its two main metabolites, according to the UCI statement.
Since March 2019, the UCI has banned the use of tramadol in all its competitions and categories "to protect the health and safety of cyclists from the side effects of this substance."
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Tramadol is a medicine to treat moderate to severe pain.
It is a controlled substance, because one of its side effects is addiction and dependence.
It can cause respiratory distress and even death if ingested in high doses, according to the National Library of Medicine.
"Violations of the ban on the use of tramadol in competition are offenses under the UCI Medical Regulations," the statement said.
The use of this drug "does not constitute anti-doping rule violations," adds the UCI, and as it is a first offense for the Colombian, Nairo Quintana "is not declared ineligible and therefore can participate in competitions," according to the International Cycling Union. .
The UCI said it will not comment further on the matter and the Colombian's team has not commented on the facts so far.
A look at the career of Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana
Nairo Quintana finished in 6th place in the general classification of the 2022 Tour de France. Nairo, champion of the Giro d'Italia (2014) and the Vuelta a España (2016), twice second in the Tour de France (2013 and 2015) and once second in the Giro (2017) he has not been on the podium for 5 years in one of the three great cycling tours of the world.
But this year, already a veteran in a highly controlled and demanding sport, he has stood out for his victories in the Tour La Provence and the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes and Var, as well as placing fifth in the Paris-Nice races. and fourth in the Volta a Catalunya, and now for holding on to the top 10 in the heat of the queen event of world cycling.
The Colombian, once a great rival of Chris Froome in the Tour de France, is one of the cyclists most followed by the public in the French tour.
After his extensive and successful time with the Movistar Team, he is now the leader of the French team Arkéa Samsic, the athlete from Tunja, Boyacá, wants to return to glory.
Nairo QuintanaTour de France
