OFFICIAL: Controversial Robert Stannard returns to professional peloton with Bahrain - Victorious

Following UCI's spoiler, Bahrain - Victorious had issued an official confirmation of signing of the 25-year-old Robert Stannard. The Australian all-rounder will wear the team's colours until the end of 2025 after having not raced for more than a year following a back-dated four-year doping ban.

"It’s clear to me this is a team full of great people. I am really excited to work with the group and contribute to achieving our goals. I feel like I’ve got my life back, in a way. I can’t wait to return to racing, and I’m so grateful to have been given this opportunity by Bahrain."

In August 2023, Stannard's life was turned upside down after receiving a letter from UCI, informing him that they had detected anomalies in his ‘Athlete Biological Passport’ (ABP) between 2018 and 2019. The case has been highly contentious from the start, primarily because it has never been specified whether the rider is accused of using a prohibited substance or a prohibited method, and secondly, because he was able to provide explanations for what they had identified as "abnormal values". Stannard takes up the story in the press release:

"Athletes with ABP violations have not returned positive blood or urine tests for anything. They alleged that it could only have been caused by 'illegal means', but throughout the entire process, provided no evidence of any wrongdoing. No evidence of doping is collected or required for them to reach this judgment. I hope the Tribunal ruling will be published in the future, and then people will be able to read the details and make up their own minds," he stresses out.

Stannard continues: "But it’s certainly changed my perspective on things, on cycling, and life as a whole. Yet most of all I am so grateful for the support I’ve had from those close to me, my family and my friends. They’ve got me through this, and I believe I have maybe even gained something much greater out of all of this. It’s awesome to be able to race my bike again, to continue my cycling career."

Bahrain's Performance Manager, Vladimir Miholjevic believes in their new signing's innocence: "We are happy to have Robert joining us. Robert went through a difficult period, with a lot of confusion, but we support him, and through our medical teams analysis we could not conclude any wrongdoing. He has been cleared to race in the professional peloton again, and is a talented rider who we think has great potential."