Decision of the Disciplinary Commission concerning the UCI WorldTeam Katusha

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that the President of the Disciplinary Commission hasdetermined that: "The conditions for a suspension of Team Katusha in application of art. 7.12.1 the UCIAnti-Doping Rules have not been met."

Following the notification of a second case of an Adverse Analytical Finding (*) in the UCI WorldTeamKatusha within a twelve-month period, the UCI referred the matter to the Disciplinary Commission on 6February.

The President of the Disciplinary Commission based this decision on the following considerations, amongothers:

 "The text of the article [7.12.1] refers to the fact that the decision must take into account "all the

circumstances of the case";

 "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";

 "It is understood that the intention of the article is to impose negative consequences on teams that

lack control of doping for sporting purposes by their athletes, or if even worse scenarios exist,

and/or if teams are not doing enough to fight such doping";

 "The President of the Commission has expressed that he could share the view that it would be

disproportionate to suspend a team on the basis that one of its members [uses] a social drug, the

consumption of which is not related to sporting performance".

(*): Summary of the two cases:

 On 10 July 2015, Luca Paolini, a rider from the UCI WorldTeam Katusha, was notified of an Adverse Analytical

Finding (presence of cocaine) relating to a sample taken during an in-competition test on 7 July 2015. A

disciplinary procedure before the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal is under way.

 On 5 February 2016, Eduard Vorganov was notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (presence of Meldonium)

in a sample collected during an out-of-competition control on 14 January 2016. The rider is provisionally

suspended until the adjudication of the affair.

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