TEAM SKY HAS taken Colmbian rider Sergio Henao out of action ‘for at least eight weeks’ after questions arose about his blood values.
The British side, which has star cyclists Chris Frrome and Bradley Wiggins on its roster, underwent World Anti-Doping Agency tests while in his native country during the winter. WADA did not flag any of the out-of-competition results but Team Sky’s analysts found reason to question some of Henao’s blood values.
A statement from Team Sky has revealed Henao has been removed from the outfit’s race schedule for two months pending the conclusion of an ‘altitude research programme’. Henao had been training at high altitude when the tests were carried out.
In a statement, released today, team principal, Dave Brailsford, said, “We have strong monitoring and compliance processes in this team, with the full cooperation of riders and coaches.
“In our latest monthly review, our experts had questions about Sergio’s out-of-competition control tests at altitude – tests introduced this winter by the anti-doping authorities. We need to understand these readings better.
“We contacted the relevant authorities — the UCI and CADF — pointed to these readings and asked whether they could give us any insights. We’ve also taken Sergio out of our race programme whilst we get a better understanding of these profiles and his physiology.”
Brailsford added, “We want to do the right thing and we want to be fair. It’s important not to jump to conclusions.”
