Salas suspended two years for tampering with doping control

Canadian Cyclist Sebastian Salas was suspended for two years on Monday for “tampering with a doping control,” according to the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

According to a release from the CCES, Salas tampered with a doping control during an in-competition test on July 10, 2013, at the Gastown Grand Prix, held in Vancouver. He is now banned from the sport through August 1, 2015.

“In response to the CCES’ notification of the violation, Mr. Salas fully explored his rights under the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP) and eventually chose to admit the doping control violation, waive his right to a hearing, and accept a two-year sanction ending August 1, 2015. The athlete, who resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, is ineligible to participate in any capacity with any sport signatory to the CADP, including training with teammates,” the release from CCES reads.

Salas rode for Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies for the past two seasons, but didn’t re-sign with the team for the upcoming season. He won the king of the mountains classification at the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, and placed in the top 10 at the both the Tour de Beauce and SRAM Tour of the Gila that season.

“It is unfortunate to learn that an athlete in our sport has been seen to have competed outside the rules of the Canadian Anti-doping Program,” Cycling Canada president John Tolkamp said in a statement. “The fact that the rigorous testing regime of the national body with the collaboration of the CCES identified the problem should serve as a reminder to any that would cheat that they will be caught and sanctioned appropriately.

“We will continue to enhance our efforts to educate around doping in our sport so that all athletes are able to compete on a fair and equal basis.”

Salas’ Optum team suspended him following the abnormal test and did not renew him for 2014.

Due to our team policy, he was suspended within 24 hours of his late arrival to an in-competition control at the Gastown Grand Prix,” managing director Charles Aaron said in a statement. “While Mr. Salas did not test positive for any banned substances and while we were never contacted by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), his being late to a test was unacceptable to our team and resulted in his termination.

“Removing him from all 2013 rosters and excluding him from consideration for 2014 was the strongest course of action available to our organization. CCES has since concluded Mr. Salas was in breach of the rules. We fully support the actions of CCES as well as USADA and WADA in their continued efforts to protect clean sport.”