Astana Qazaqstan Development rider fired for blood booster doping

Ilkhan Dostiyev, an Astana Qazaqstan Development Team rider, has been fired after testing positive for and admitting to using the blood booster drug CERA.

The 22-year-old finished second at the Tour du Rwanda earlier this year, behind Joe Blackmore (Israel-Premier Tech) and then won a stage and finished second overall at the under-23 development race the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d'Aosta race in July. He tested positive after an out of competition test on 30 July.

After he was tested, he won the Turul Romaniei stage race in Romania in August and was part of Astana's WorldTour squad at the Tour of Hainan in China. However, with his positive test announced on Monday by cycling's governing body, the UCI, he has now been fired by Astana as of Tuesday. The UCI confirmed that Dostiyev tested positive for CERA, and could now face a ban of four years after an anti-doping tribunal.

CERA (continuous erythropoietin receptor activator), is a drug which acts like EPO, boosting red blood cell production. EPO was the go-to drug of dopers in the 1990s and beyond, with its use supposed to be revealed via the Biological Passport.

Astana Qazaqstan denied any responsibility, and said that Dostiyev's contract was immediately suspended and then terminated.

“This news came as a shock and disappointment to us," Alexandr Shushemoin, Astana's head sports director said on Tuesday. "We trusted Ilkhan Dostiyev as one of the team’s leaders and we had great expectations for him, which are now completely shattered. After receiving the information, we promptly contacted the rider and demanded an explanation, which Dostiyev provided, also expressing full willingness to cooperate with the UCI and anti-doping authorities.

"I can state with absolute certainty that Astana Qazaqstan Development Team has no connection to this incident. Our team adheres to a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy, we work continuously with the riders and do our best to ensure that athletes understand not only the consequences of using doping but also the absurdity of attempting to violate anti-doping rules.

"Given that Dostiyev has admitted to the anti-doping violation, the rider has been suspended from racing, and his contract has been immediately terminated. We are now cooperating fully and openly with all organizations involved to clarify all the details of what happened".