News

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has opened disciplinary proceedings against five riders after discovering suspicious data in their biological passports, the sport''s governing body said on Wednesday.

"After having informed all the parties concerned, the International Cycling Union announces that disciplinary procedures have been requested against the following riders for apparent violation of the Anti-Doping Rules on the basis of the information provided by the blood profile in their biological passports: Basque Igor Astarloa Ascasibar, Pietro Caucchioli, Francesco De Bonis, Ruben Lobato Elvira, Ricardo Serrano Gonzalez," the UCI said in a statement.

Since January 2008, the UCI has been collecting blood samples from all professional riders to create a medical profile, or passport, to be compared with the data registered in doping tests.