Nairo Quintana Disqualified from Tour de France for Opioid Use

Nairo Quintana was disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France on Wednesday for misuse of the opioid tramadol.

What happened?

The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced the decision, stating that Quintana will lose his sixth-place finish.

The UCI said it was not a doping violation, but rather a misuse of a banned substance during competition.

Quintana, a two-time Tour de France runner-up, finished the three-week race more than 16 minutes behind winner Jonas Vingegaard.

Tramadol was banned in 2019 due to potential side effects such as dizziness and drowsiness, which are incompatible with competitive cycling.

Quintana is set to start in the Spanish Vuelta on Friday, a race he won in 2016.

The 32-year-old Colombian rider finished second in the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015, behind Chris Froome both times.

The UCI medical rules state that tramadol's adverse side effects endanger other competitors, making its use during races a serious offense.

Quintana's case is among the first to rely on the dried blood spot method of collecting samples, approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency last year.

As this is a first offense, Quintana is not declared ineligible and can participate in competitions, including the upcoming Spanish Vuelta.

The decision was made after traces of tramadol were found in two dried blood spot samples taken from Quintana during the Tour on July 8 and 13.