The UCI announced on Monday that 2018 Vuelta a San Juan winner Gonzalo Najar has tested positive for illegal blood booster CERA.
Najar, who was Argentina’s road-race champion in 2017, tested positive for CERA, an advanced version of the endurance-boosting hormone EPO.
“The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that two riders of the UCI Continental Team Sindicato de Empleados Publicos de San Juan were notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) in samples collected during the Vuelta a San Juan Internacional,” it said in a statement.
It goes on to explain that Najar was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding of CERA in a sample collected on January 21st of this year. His teammate Gaston Elimiliano Javier, meanwhile, was notified of an AAF of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in a sample collected two days later.
Following regular procedures, both riders have the right to request and attend the analysis of the B sample.
Najar’s victory in Vuelta a San Juan surprised many as he went on to win the overall classification 51 seconds ahead of Oscar Sevilla.
