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.
From Movistar prospect to return home
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.
Suspension sidelines South America’s rising star
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.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
UCI statement concerning Vinicius Rangel Costa bit.ly/47L8sfB
Write a comment