Tour of Britain rocked by doping case as adverse analytical finding sends former national champion home under provisional suspension
CyclingFriday, 21 August 2026 at 19:00
Former South African road champion S’annara Grove has been forced out of the Tour of Britain Women and faces missing next month’s Road World Championships after being provisionally suspended following an adverse analytical finding for a prohibited substance.
The Smurfit Westrock rider completed the opening two stages but was absent when the race resumed on Friday, with the International Testing Agency confirming that a sample collected during the Commonwealth Games had returned an adverse finding for ipamorelin. The development has cut short Grove’s appearance in the Women’s WorldTour race and put her wider international programme in jeopardy.
National champion’s season takes sudden turn
Grove won the South African national road race title in 2025 before joining British Continental team Smurfit Westrock for the 2026 season. She finished fifth at this year’s national road championships and third in the time trial, while also claiming a third successive victory at the Amashova National Classic.
The 32-year-old had mapped out a summer combining the Commonwealth Games, Tour of Britain and Road World Championships, where she had been selected to represent South Africa in Montreal. At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Grove competed on the track, finishing 13th in the scratch race and also contesting the elimination event.
However, an out-of-competition sample collected during the Games has now resulted in her immediate removal from competition.
“The ITA reports that a sample collected during an out-of-competition testing mission conducted by the Commonwealth Sport on 28 July 2026 from S’annara Grove, a rider from South Africa, has returned an AAF for ipamorelin,” the International Testing Agency confirmed. “The test was carried out in the scope of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which took place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August 2026.”
Grove subsequently lined up at the Tour of Britain for Smurfit Westrock and completed Wednesday’s opening stage and Thursday’s race into Blackpool before the adverse finding became public on Friday.
Banned peptide triggers immediate suspension
Ipamorelin is a synthetic peptide that stimulates the body’s natural production of growth hormone and is prohibited both in and out of competition. It appears under the S2 section of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list, which covers peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics.
Because ipamorelin is classified as a non-specified substance, the finding has triggered a mandatory provisional suspension rather than allowing Grove to continue racing while the case is examined.
“The rider has been informed of the case and, in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and Article 6.2.1 of the UCI Regulations for Results Management, a mandatory provisional suspension has been imposed on the rider,” the ITA said. “The rider has the right to challenge the provisional suspension and ask for its lifting.”
Grove has not publicly explained the finding, and no final anti-doping ruling or sanction has been announced.
Her suspension meant she missed Friday’s Tour of Britain stage, won by Kim Le Court-Pienaar on the Great Orme, and she will also be unable to represent South Africa at the World Championships unless the provisional measure is lifted before September’s racing in Montreal.
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.
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