Stefano Lanzi Tests Positive for Clenbuterol
Stefano Lanzi, who was recently crowned Masters World Champion in the Marathon discipline, has been provisionally suspended following a positive test for Clenbuterol.
The Championships took place in Il Ciocco, Italy and Lanzi finished fourth in the race but first in the M4 category that includes racers from 45-49 years old. Lanzi's sample was taken following the race on 25 September and his provisional suspension was recently confirmed by the UCI.
Lanzi tested positive for an S1 anabolic agent called clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is a beta 2 agonist that is traditionally used as a treatment for asthma, however it has also been used as a performance-enhancing substance or as an off-label weight loss drug by bodybuilders and celebrities. Most famously, Alberto Contador was banned for two years and stripped of the 2010 title of the Tour de France and the 2011 title of the Giro d'Italia after testing positive for the drug at the 2010 Tour de France.
The Italian rider blames his positive test on treatment for a prior injury. He told italy24news, "Last year I was the victim of a bad injury in which I broke some vertebrae and spent a few days in traction on a hospital bed, since then I have been prescribed medicines, some based on cortisone, my mistake was never having communicated it to the anti-doping authorities"
The rider claims he presented the anti-doping testers with his medical records at the doping control but they could not take that into account at the time of testing and told him he should have registered it earlier. He said, "I will have to present in Lausanne for counter-analysis in the company of my lawyer. Whoever knows me knows how much effort and how many hard workouts I have done in many years of activity on the saddle of a mountain bike, upon learning the news it is as if everything had collapsed on me, I am very disappointed”.
Lanzi now faces a suspension of up to four years and will likely be stripped of his recently earned title. As Clenbuterol is a non-specified substance, extraneous circumstances will not be taken into account when deciding his sanction. We have reached out to Stefano for more information and will update this post if he has any further statements.
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Only in race situations/sustained race pace does mine bother me. After 1.5 hrs I’m drowning and struggling to breathe even when seated
Sorry, I had to
Muscles need oxygen to work, you get out of breath and fatigued because you can't supply enough oxygen to them and its hard to catch up once its too late, trick is to pre-compensate before you get to that stage and keep up delivery. Your body naturally just works on reactive basis, only requesting more air (gasping) once its in trouble.
Those dudes can go outside with almost no clothes and stay warm even if it's below 0. Breathing problems? Zero..
I’m no pro athlete, but if I was put on a bunch of shit post injury i would 100% be asking around about disclosing and ensuring I don’t get a surprise.
Do you really think young athletes are the best-placed to make decisions about their own long-term wellbeing?
And do you think national bodies would put those athletes' wellbeing above medal glory?
an open category is just stupid imo.
In the context of winning it’s totally fine.
Reaction is "I will need to fight this to clear my name" over, "I made a mistake, sorry to the sport and my fellow competitors" and humbly returns the trophy and medal to the 2nd place competitor.
Clenbuterol is a fat-burning drug that raises your metabolic rate. Even though it is not approved for use in the U.S., some athletes and bodybuilders use clenbuterol to help them reach their fitness goals.
What Is Clenbuterol?
Clenbuterol is a drug that is not approved for human use in the U.S. In some countries, it is available by prescription only for people with asthma or other breathing problems. Since 1998, the FDA has allowed clenbuterol for treating horses with asthma. It is not allowed for animals that are used in food production.
Clenbuterol is a substance that has steroid-like effects and is classified as a beta2-adrenergic antagonist. This means that it stimulates the beta2-adrenergic receptors in your throat. The medicine helps relax your muscles and lungs, making it easier to breathe if you have asthma or another respiratory condition. It can stay in your body for up to 39 hours after you take it.
Still, I can’t see any reason it would be prescribed to someone for any kind of injury.