UCI imposes 30-day suspension on Team Medellin-EPM following anti-doping violations

The cycling world has been hit with more disciplinary news, as the Colombian Continental squad, Team Medellin - EPM, will be forced to stop racing for a full month. This penalty comes directly from the sport's governing body after two of their athletes had serious issues with their Athlete Biological Passports.

The International Testing Agency (ITA) shared the news on Tuesday, and the UCI Disciplinary Commission officially handed down the punishment.

Because of this decision, Team Medellin - EPM will not be allowed to compete for 30 days. The ban will start on March 27, 2026, and end on April 25, 2026. This penalty follows article 11.3 of the UCI's anti-doping rules, which states that an entire team can be suspended if two riders commit rule violations within a 12-month period.

The two Colombian racers who caused this team suspension are Aldemar Reyes and Fabio Duarte. Both riders showed abnormalities in their Biological Passports during the 2025 season. The ITA explained exactly when these issues were found:

"On 10 June 2025, the Colombian rider Aldemar Reyes Ortega was notified by the National Anti-Doping Organisation of Colombia (Coldeportes) of an asserted ADRV, due to unexplained abnormalities in his ABP in the period around February and August 2023," the ITA announced.

Shortly after, the second rider was notified. "Then, on 21 August 2025, the Colombian rider Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo was notified by the Coldeportes of an ADRV, due to unexplained abnormalities in his ABP, also in February 2023, as well as between July and December 2024 and in January 2025."

Team Medellin-EPM still has a chance to fight this penalty. The team, which currently features famous riders like 49-year-old Oscar Sevilla and former QuickStep sprinter Alvaro Hodeg, can challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

If they do not win an appeal, they will miss several important races. This includes the Tour of Hainan, an event that Sevilla won in 2023 when he was 47 years old.