128 abandonments in a popular cycling race in Alicante after an anti-doping control was announced

Efe Alicante

Alicante

Updated Friday, March 8, 2024-10:22

The sixth stage of the

Vinalopó Interclubs Tournament

, a popular cycling event held this past Saturday in the Alicante municipality of

Villena

and its surroundings, left

128 abandonments of a total of 180 participants,

something that coincided with the announcement of an

anti-doping control

that was going away. to perform at the finish line.

The test had a route of

91 kilometers and 1,273 meters of elevation

, but after a rumor spread among the peloton that there was an anti-doping control at the finish line for all those who finished the test, there were several punctures and falls that They caused some abandonments, up to 128 in a race that

only 52 cyclists finished

.

As reported by the magazine

Ciclo21

, the second place finisher in the race,

Álvaro Marzà

, slipped in a publication on social networks that

"anti-doping control is the same as punctures and withdrawals"

and stated that "it is not a mathematical formula, but it is the pure reality", so he asked to take action against "this joke".

After this, the Vinalopó Interclubs Tournament itself was proud in a statement to be an event "that

defends clean and fair cycling

" and noted that they are "committed to the fight against doping", because it is "essential to maintain the integrity of the sport." and protect the health of cyclists.

"Doping is a trap that gives cyclists who use it an unfair advantage over those who compete fairly. Not only is it disrespectful to the sport and its values, but it can also have

serious consequences for the health of cyclists who dope

," the text highlighted.

Thus, the competition said "to adhere to the strict anti-doping rules of the International Cycling Union (UCI)" and stressed that "all participants in the event are subject to random anti-doping controls, both before and after the race", organized and controlled by the

Spanish Commission for the Fight against Doping in Sports

(CELAD).

Therefore, they added that doping has no place in cycling and supported those who compete "cleanly and honestly" to "protect the integrity of cycling."