Martin Maes is suspended from racing Enduro World Series (and any cycling competition) for 90 days, following a positive test for a banned masking agent.

The short ban is due to credible reasoning for Maes having the banned substance in his system. He was administered an antibiotic substance during the NZ Enduro earlier in 2019 after suffering a cut to his leg that led to infection.

Martin will lose his EWS wins from rounds one and two, but will keep his round three win as he was tested there and returned a negative result.

We heard the news today during the EWS Media Recce in Canazei, Italy, and word is that Maes will be on-site taking questions.

Vojo Mag has done a great job of getting the first interview with Maes. (In French.)

Maes and his team have been able to provide ample evidence and justification, including a detailed letter from the doctor in New Zealand who prescribed the medicine, which has helped reduce his ban to 90 days (effective 13 May 2019), but they haven’t gone as far as backdating a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

This is the UCI’s official statement on Martin Maes’s ban:

“

UCI statement on Martin Maes
Jun 26, 2019

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that the Belgian rider Martin Maes has been suspended for a period of 90 days for a non-intentional Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

The affair concerns an ADRV for the presence of the prohibited substance Probenecid* in samples collected in-competition on 24 and 31 March 2019.

As per the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR), the sanction began on 13 May 2019.

Moreover, the results obtained by the rider in rounds 1 and 2 of the Enduro World Series have been annulled. This is not the case however for round 3, where he tested negative.

The case has been resolved via an acceptance of consequences as provided for by the WADC and the UCI ADR.

The UCI will not comment any further.

* Probenecid is classified in the category “Diuretics and Masking Agents” and considered a specified substance as per the World Anti-Doping Prohibited List.

“