UAE Team Emirates gives Juan Sebastian Molano green light to return to competition
Jul 18 2019 02:33 am CET
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Juan Sebastian Molano has been given the green light to compete again by UAE Team Emirates. The rider had been suspended in May after some potentially unusual values in the rider's physiological parameters.
The Colombian will return to competition in the Adriatica Ionica Race, which will be held between the 24th and the 28th of July. The rider had been suspended from competition on May 13 of 2019 after a routine monitoring program of the team showed some potentially unusual values, a decision that was taken independently.
These unusual values can be traced back to the rider's high sensitivity to altitude changes. "Molano has always lived in Paipa, Colombia, at an altitude of 2525 metres above sea level," explained medical director of the team's medical staff Dr Jeroen Swart. "Before coming to Italy in May, he spent several weeks training in Paipa, pedalling to summits located close to 3000 metres.
"During the monitoring period, we implemented observational studies on Molano, in which we reproduced the circumstances leading up to the appearance of the unusual values; that is to say, the same altitudes, the same environmental conditions and the same physical activities. The results of the extensive data collected were evaluated by the team's doctors as well as an outside expert, Professor Robert Roach, Director from the University of Colorado Altitude Research Center and one of the world's leading experts in altitude physiology.
"The results showed that the physiological parameters in question strongly indicate that Molano is highly sensitive to altitude changes. In light of these results, the UAE Team Emirates' medical staff has declared the study concluded and has given the go-ahead for Molano to compete in upcoming events."
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