Former Movistar Team rider banned until 2027 following Anti-Doping Rule Violation

Former Brazilian national champion Vinicius Rangel Costa has been handed a 20-month suspension by the UCI for whereabouts failures, ruling him out of competition until April 2027.

The UCI confirmed on Tuesday that the 24-year-old has been sanctioned for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation after recording three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, athletes are required to provide up-to-date location details for out-of-competition testing; three failures to do so within a year count as a doping rule violation even in the absence of a positive test.

The UCI said Rangel’s case was “resolved by way of an acceptance of consequences”, meaning the rider did not contest the charge. His period of ineligibility began on 27 August 2025 and will run until 26 April 2027. The governing body added that no further comment would be made on the matter.

Rangel was one of Brazil’s brightest cycling exports of the last decade. After developing in Spain’s amateur ranks, he joined Movistar Team in 2022 and quickly made headlines by winning the Brazilian national road race title the same year. That triumph saw him become the first Movistar rider to wear the green-and-yellow stripes in the WorldTour peloton.

Despite flashes of promise, Rangel’s three-year stint with Movistar ended in August 2024, when he announced his decision to return home, citing a desire to “enjoy the sport differently.” He later signed with Swift Pro Cycling, a Continental-level outfit based in Brazil.

The ban halts what had looked like a rebuilding phase for the 24-year-old after his move back to the domestic scene. It also delivers a blow to Brazilian cycling, which in recent years has sought to build a stronger presence on the international calendar through riders such as Rangel and Nicolas Sessler.

The UCI’s anti-doping programme has been operated by the International Testing Agency (ITA) since 2021, with the federation retaining responsibility for prosecuting violations. According to the UCI statement, the ITA’s cycling unit continues to oversee independent testing and compliance across all disciplines of the sport.

Rangel will be eligible to return to competition in April 2027, shortly before his 26th birthday.