Fabio Cini (IT), a well-known gran fondo rider, has been implicated in a doping scandal, leading to his immediate suspension by his team.
The positive test result for Cini didn't entirely come as a surprise. His entire team, Team Promotech Mg Kvis, underwent testing on Feb. 25, following the Gran Fondo Laigueglia. Notably, Cini's positive sample was collected earlier, on Feb. 18, during his victory at Ricordando Pantani. This suggests that the Italian anti-doping authorities had been monitoring Cini and his team closely.
Cini's stature in the gran fondo world is significant, with notable victories including the Maratona dles Dolomites, Sportful Dolomiti Race, and the UCI GF Suisse.
In 2022, Cini became the subject of controversy when he blamed his dissapointing season on the monitoring of his biological passport, as stated in a now-deleted Facebook post.
The test revealed the presence of stanozolol, an anabolic steroid known for its muscle-enhancing effects. This substance famously led to Ben Johnson's disqualification at the 1988 Olympics. Francesco Cipolletta, Cini's team manager, maintains his innocence:
"Our team unequivocally distances itself from this incident, but we are reserving further comment until the results of the counter-analysis are available. We're shocked by these developments and are hoping that the additional tests will negate the initial findings for Cini's sake."
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