Katusha escape UCI suspension despite two failed drugs tests

Russian team Katusha have escaped suspension despite having had two riders fail drugs tests within 12 months.

After Luca Paolini was thrown out of the 2015 Tour de France for testing positive for cocaine, it was announced last Friday that Eduard Vorganov had tested positive for Meldonium at an out-of-competition test on January 14.

Article 7.12.1 of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Cycling Regulations states that any team who return two adverse analytical findings within 12 months "shall be suspended from participation in any international event for a period determined by the president of the UCI Disciplinary Commission or a member of the Disciplinary Commission".

The UCI consequently referred Katusha to the Disciplinary Commission, but in a statement released on Tuesday, the president of the commission exonerated the team on the grounds that Paolini's drug use was recreational and not for performance-enhancing purposes.

The statement read: "The Union Cycliste Internationale announces that the President of the Disciplinary Commission has determined that: 'The conditions for a suspension of Team Katusha in application of art. 7.12.1 the UCI Anti-Doping Rules have not been met.'"

The president is quoted in the statement as saying: "With regard to the [Paolini case, it has been] established that the rider's taking of cocaine was not related to an intention to influence sporting performance but was rather taken on a "recreational" basis.

"In this context, applying a suspension under article 7.12.1 when one of the two cases of Adverse Analytical Finding relates to [the use of] a social drug cannot be reconciled with the aim of the article.

"Even if, strictly speaking, such a case falls within the application of the anti-doping rules for the rider concerned, the imposition of negative consequences for the whole team would be inappropriate and disproportionate."

In the wake of Vorganov's positive test, Katusha released a statement insisting Meldonium has never been used by the team and was not provided to the rider by the team.

Katusha have suspended Vorganov pending the analysis of his B sample, while Paolini is still awaiting his UCI Disciplinary Commission hearing and has not yet been sanctioned.

Although Katusha have been cleared by the UCI, they may still face suspension under the rules of the Movement for Credible Cycling, which state that any member team who return two positive tests within 12 months must voluntarily suspend themselves from racing for eight days.