42-year-old Venezuelan rider Ubeto banned for biological passport violation

The UCI has taken anti-doping action against two over-40 South American riders. Miguel Ubeto, 42, has been banned for two years, while 44-year-old German Ariel Lopez has been provisionally suspended.

The Venezuelan rider Ubeto was banned for the “use of prohibited methods and/or prohibited substances.” In July, he was informed of anomalies in his biological passport and he has now been banned for two years.

Ubeto raced in South America for the majority of his career, winning the UCI America Tour title in 2011. That secured him a contract with Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela for the following year. In 2012 he won the second of his three national road titles and claimed overall victory at the Vuelta a Venezuela.

Ubeto then moved up to WorldTour level, joining Lampre-Merida for 2013, but he promptly tested positive for GW501516 and was banned for 14 months. He returned to racing in 2014 and won road race at the Pan-American Games the following year.

The Argentinian rider German Ariel Lopez, meanwhile, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive in October of this year for anabolic androgenic steroids. The positive test came only days after winning the bronze medal in the Mens 40-44 3k pursuit at the UCI Masters Track Cycling Championships.