UCI disqualifies Nairo Quintana from Tour de France for using banned substance Tramadol

Team Arkea-Samsic rider Quintana finished sixth in the general classification in last month's Tour but analysis of two dried blood samples revealed the presence of tramadol and its two main metabolites.

"In accordance with the UCI Medical Rules, the rider is disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France. This decision may be appealed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the next 10 days," the UCI said in a statement.

"As this is a first offence, Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas is not declared ineligible and can therefore participate in competitions."

Using tramadol is an offence only under the UCI Medical Rules due to the side-effects of the substance which include dizziness, drowsiness and loss of attention. They do not constitute Anti-Doping Rule Violations, which are created by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Quintana is down to start Vuelta a Espana - the last grand tour of the season, which gets under way on Friday in Utrecht, Netherlands.

However, his team are part of Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible (MPCC), which has a strong anti-tramadol stance. This could lead to his team disciplining the former Vuelta winner internally, but they are yet to make a comment on this matter. 

Because of his Tour de France disqualification, Romain Bardet moves up to sixth and Valentin Madouas breaks into the top 10.