French cyclist tests positive for banned substance for a second time

French cyclist Lionel Miny has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance for the second time in his career. The 33-year-old, who recently competed in the Tour Cycliste International de la Guadeloupe and finished fifth on stage 4, returned the positive test following the amateur Tour Cycliste de Marie-Galante in June on the island of Guadeloupe.

Local media, via DirectVelo, reported that the president of the Guadeloupe Cycling Committee confirmed the case as a doping matter. The French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) has since moved to suspend Miny pending the full disciplinary process. He did not start stage 7 of the Tour de Guadeloupe.

While the AFLD has not publicly disclosed the exact substance involved in the June test, the case is particularly damaging for Miny given his past. In 2018, traces of EPO were detected in his system, resulting in a four-year suspension from competition. That ban sidelined him until 2022, and his return to racing had been relatively low-profile until his recent performances in Guadeloupe.

This is the second high-profile doping story to emerge in cycling this week. Aurela Nerlo, runner-up at this year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, tested positive for an anabolic steroid and has been removed from competition pending investigation. Miny’s case will now move through the AFLD’s adjudication process, but the repeat nature of the offence is likely to bring a lengthy ban, potentially ending his career.