2026 Gran Fondo Hincapie - Register NOW!
United States | Midwest | Ohio >> Two UCI Gran Fondo Champions suspended for suspected doping

Two UCI Gran Fondo Champions suspended for suspected EPO doping

Two Spanish cyclists have been suspended following anti-doping tests, suspected EPO use

45-year-old Spanish cyclist Raúl Portillo was crowned UCI Gran Fondo champion in the Time Trial and Gran Fondo in 2018.

45-year-old four time Spanish cyclists Raúl Portillo was crowned UCI Gran Fondo champion in the Time Trial and Gran Fondo in 2018.

The other rider named is 36-year-old Basque rider José Antonio Larrea.

EPO, short for erythropoietin, is used to increase the number of red blood cells and hence oxygen supply to the body, which is performance enhancing.

Portillo won in the 45-49 age category group at the 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Varese. He was also fastest overall by covering the 22.5 kilometre Time Trial course in 28 minutes 15 seconds, an average speed of 46.7kph. 

>>> 2,400 cyclists tackle 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Italy <<<

Portillo trains regularly in Andorra and rides for the Norinver Cycling Team.

Portillo won the 2018 Three Days of Mallorca masters race, attended by a host of masters racers worldwide.

He also won Spanish races, the Volta a la Marina Alta-Parcent and the Trofeo Ayunt.Pielagos-Carandia in 2018.

Both of the riders were subject to targeted testing and that “authorities were alerted by their victories.”

Portillo is rumoured to have stated "I can only tell you that in the last control I took, they tell me that it is positive. I do not agree with this and I am waiting for the report of the result and the analysis of the sample.”

Both riders have been suspended by the Basque Anti-Doping Agency (AVA) and internationally this suspension is supported by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

A 2015 report by the UCI’s Independent Commission for Reform in Cycling stated that: “Masters races were said to have middle-aged businessmen winning on EPO, with some of them training as hard as professional riders and putting in comparable performances.”

The report also stated that professional riders avoided Gran Fondos “because they were so competitive due to the number of riders doping”.

Both suspended riders have the right for their B samples to be tested.

Officially both riders are innocent until proven guilty and all doping tests follow strict rules and guidelines. The sustance for which they have been suspended for, is officially "unidentified". 

Rumours in the Spanish press point to EPO as the substance.

More on this story to follow in due course ...

 
Tag: ucigfws
 
Jun 22 2026 - NEWS: Levene and Hadzhistoyanov take victory at inaugural 2026 UCI Gran Fondo Bulgaria
Jun 16 2026 - NEWS: Hiromi Kaneko and Kakeru Omae Fastest at the 2026 UCI Tour de Fukushima
Jun 14 2026 - NEWS: Vesna Alegro Baznik and Matic Grošelj take victory at the 2026 UCI Maraton Franja BTC City
Jun 07 2026 - NEWS: Laura Simenc Kramar and Aidar Zakarin take Victory at 2026 Gran Fondo Novi Sad
Jun 07 2026 - NEWS: 3,000 Riders, 30 Nations, and a Tactical Masterclass: Tartu Rattaralli Delivers a Fierce 45th Edition
May 19 2026 - NEWS: Complete Guide to the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Niseko
May 17 2026 - NEWS: Sofie de Vuyst and John-Ross Clauw fastest at 2026 UCI Granfondo Vosges
May 10 2026 - NEWS: Koclirova and Jan Miazga take Victory at 2026 UCI Sudety Tour Gran Fondo
Apr 27 2026 - NEWS: Gwenaelle Legendre and Celestin Guillon and take Victory at 2026 66 Degrés Sud - La Cyclo
Apr 19 2026 - NEWS: Bradlerova and Szelag take victory at 2026 UCI Neusiedlersee Radmarathon
Apr 11 2026 - NEWS: Laura Šimenc Kramar and Matic Grošelj take Victory 2026 UCI Istria Granfondo
Mar 29 2026 - NEWS: Valkeneers and de Decker take victory at 2026 UCI Gran Fondo Belgium
Mar 26 2026 - NEWS: Van der Lijke Zijlaard and Wolos take victory at sold-out 2026 UCI Millars Granfondo
Mar 09 2026 - NEWS: 2026 UCI Cape Town Cycle Tour crowns champions as 29,000 riders take part
Mar 07 2026 - NEWS: Inaugural 2026 UCI Cape Town Cycle Tour to be Livestreamed
Sep 15 2016 - RESULTS: Record 5,500 riders at 6th Edition of Amys Gran Fondo
Sep 04 2016 - RESULTS: 17 new UCI Gran Fondo World Champions in Australia
Jun 06 2016 - RESULTS: 8,000 cyclists take part in the UK Tour of Cambridgeshire UCI Gran Fondo
Aug 26 2026 - EVENT: Niseko Classic
Aug 26 2026 - EVENT: 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships
Sep 05 2026 - EVENT: Gran Fondo Asociacion Espanola
Sep 13 2026 - EVENT: Gran Fondo Matildica
Sep 13 2026 - EVENT: Amys Gravel Fondo
Sep 13 2026 - EVENT: Amys Gran Fondo
Oct 03 2026 - EVENT: Tre Valli Varesine Gravel Experience
Oct 03 2026 - EVENT: Granfondo Ezaro
Oct 03 2026 - EVENT: Granfondo Tre Valli Varesine
Nov 08 2026 - EVENT: UCI Granfondo Brazil
Nov 29 2026 - EVENT: Gran Fondo Colombia
Dec 06 2026 - EVENT: Granfondo La Guadeloupe
Dec 18 2026 - EVENT: UCI Gran Fondo Hainan
Mar 14 2027 - EVENT: Cape Town Cycle Tour
Apr 02 2027 - EVENT: UCI Cyprus Gran Fondo