Positive doping test found at women's UAE Tour - Linda Laporta provisionally suspended after use of Enobosarm

Italian rider Linda Laporta has been provisionally suspended from pro cycling following a positive test for the substance Enobosarm. The Vini Fantini-Bepink rider has had the analysis of her sample show traces of the non-steroidal anabolic agent which is not allowed neither in or out of competition, and sees her young career at risk of coming to a premature end.

The 26-year old rider turned pro in 2024 with BTC Cty Ljubljana Zhiraf Ambedo and through a set of results and other out of competition tests attracted the attention of the BePink team, a women's continental team, one that does however frequently make its presence felt in some of the biggest races in the world. Laporta herself rode the UAE Tour earlier this year, where she finished 31st on the summit finish to Jebel Hafeet and 50th in the overall classification. She also raced the Setmana Ciclista a Comunitat Valenciana and most recently the Trofeo Oro in Euro only two weeks ago.

However it was at the UAE Tour that she tested positive for Enobosarm. The substance is used for muscle growth, a similar use to that of regular steroids, and is banned from use for professional cyclists. The substance was collected on the 5th of February and in the meantime it was possible to access the values. She is provisionally suspended for the time being but is allowed to request a B-sample and await its results in the meantime. It is the first time this substance is reported to be at use at the top level of the sport.

The first months of the 2026 season have seen several doping-related suspensions and this includes two teams. The Colombian Team Medellín-EPM was suspended for 30 days after two riders had abnormalities in the biological passport identified; whilst Portuguese team Feirense - Beeceler was also suspended for 22 days due to three biological passport anomaly cases in the space of 12 months.