Cycling – First Doping Case of 2026 Hits Contador Team

Colombian rider Germán Darío Gómez Becerra from PY Insurance (Alberto Contador & Ivan Basso’s team) has become the first pro cyclist sanctioned for doping in 2026 after testing positive for Boldenone. The 29-year-old tested positive in team tests on December 28, 2025, leading to a provisional UCI suspension – the team’s first positive in nine years.​

Gómez claimed the positive came from eating contaminated steak, but Boldenone (a veterinary anabolic steroid used for muscle growth in cattle and horses) showed long-lasting metabolites indicating multiple doping cycles rather than a one-off trace, according to Colombian anti-doping magistrate Dr Juan Carlos Mejía.

Rapid Testing Time Praised

The UCI praised the record-fast processing time of just one month through its Selfie Leaton system and ITA collaboration, compared to 10 months for similar cases like Oier Lazkano. Before the suspension, Gómez had finished 6th overall in the 2025 Tour of Turkey, highlighting his hugely-improved form.

With his name in the spotlight again, fans have resurfaced a clip from the 2019 Vuelta a España showing Gómez crying inconsolably, highlighting the intense pressure he has faced in his career. Coverage has also noted team sponsor Miguel Ángel López, the former “Superman López,” who has his own doping history.

A disciplinary hearing for Gómez is now pending, with Colombian anti-doping authorities indicating that a ban of two to four years is likely, depending on the investigation’s outcome.