Pro Continental team RusVelo has suspended rider Petr Ignatenko following notification by the UCI of a possible anti-doping infringement, the team announced Tuesday.
The Russian rider failed a drug test on April 8th, when human growth hormone (HGH) was found in his system. He has been provisionally suspended by the UCI.
Ignatenko, 27, rode for the Katusha UCI WorldTour team from 2011 to 2014 but was placed on the Pro Continental RusVelo squad for 2015. He has been removed from RusVelo effective immediately.
“Staying true to the principles of zero tolerance to any violations of this type, the team officially declares all the previously concluded agreements with the rider null and void with an immediate effect,” RusVelo said in a statement.
“By signing of a contract a rider takes on a range of serous and clear obligations. He is expected to be aware of unavoidable consequences he faces if he fails to comply with them. The team reserves the right to bring the rider to court for his misdoing.”
Ignatenko was fifth at the Tour of Langkawi in 2014, and won both the sprint and mountains classification in the Tour de Romandie in 2012. His 2015 season has been unremarkable, including DNFs at Strade Bianche and the the Baloise Belgium Tour, his most recent race start.
The RusVelo team was suspended from racing in by the MPCC (Movement for Credible Cycling) in 2013 following three positive tests for the asthma drug Fenoterol at the Russian national championships, which followed an earlier positive test for GW1516.
Another Pro Continental rider, Ramón Carretero of Southeast Pro Cycling, was added to the UCI’s provisional suspension list following a positive test for banned blood-booster EPO on April 22, at the Tour of Turkey.
Carretero started the Giro d’Italia on May 9th, but exited the race just a day later.
Southeast, a new-look version of the organization formerly known as Neri Sottoli and Vini Fantini, has had its share of doping troubles in the past. In 2013, as Vini-Fantini, the team had both Danilo DiLuca and Mauro Santambrogio test positive for EPO at the Giro d’Italia.
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