Kristijan Durasek and Kristijan Koren suspended for involvement in Operation Aderlass
May 15 2019 09:04 pm CET
Photo by Jonathan Roorda / CyclingPub.com
UAE-Team Emirates' Kristijan Durasek and Bahrain-Merida's Kristijan Koren have been provisionally suspended due to potential anti-doping rules violations. The riders have been mentioned in the investigation of the Operation Aderlass.
The anti-doping investigation has been taking place in Austria and Germany and has involved several athletes of various sports, including cycling. After riders like Stefan Deninfl and Georg Preidler were implicated in this investigation earlier in the year, new names and suspensions have surfaced.
Durasek and Koren have been provisionally suspended while Operation Aderlass continues. The UCI has also suspended Bozic Borut, assistant Sports director of Bahrain-Merida and former rider Alessandro Petacchi.
"The Team strictly advocates zero-tolerance doping policy and has therefore provisionally suspended both members concerned," said Bahrain-Merida through a statement about Koren and Bozic. "We would like to stress that both cases relate to the 2012 and/or 2013 seasons. The Team always carries out thorough medical checks (including biological passport check) of any newly signed rider."
Koren has withdrawn from the Giro d'Italia, where he was in support of Vincenzo Nibali, before the start of the fifth stage.
UAE-Team Emirates took a similar decision about Durasek. "Following the Team's internal policy and the information received from the UCI, the athlete has been suspended, effective immediately, as we follow developments in the case," the team explained in a press note. "The Team hopes that Durasek can prove he was not involved in the affair. Should it be proven otherwise, he will be terminated immediately."
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