After confession, Astana's top talent receives astounding four ban following positive doping test

Kazakh rider Ilkhan Dostiyev has been banned for four years following a positive doping test in September. The 22-year-old talent from the XdS-Astana Team was immediately suspended by his team, after which he admitted to using prohibited substances. He will now be barred from competitive cycling until the end of 2028.

Dostiyev was regarded as a promising young talent. The Kazakh rider won the Tour of Romania and finished second in the Tour of Rwanda, behind Joseph Blackmore. In the Giro della Valle d'Aosta, he was one of the few riders who managed to challenge Jarno Widar. He won a stage and placed second overall, behind the dominant Belgian. However, just over a week after the final stage of the Italian race, the young rider tested positive for CERA, a variant of EPO. In September, he admitted guilt and was subsequently removed from the team.

At the time, the team expressed their shock and disappointment. Dostiyev had been expected to quickly transition to the WorldTour squad. "This news came as a shock and a disappointment to us," Alexandr Shushemoin, sports director of the development team, told me. "We trusted Ilkhan as one of the leaders of our team and had high expectations for him. Those expectations are now completely shattered. After receiving the news, we immediately contacted the rider to demand an explanation, which Dostiyev provided."

Read more below the Tweet!

XdS-Astana denies involvement in the incident

"I can state with absolute certainty that the Astana Qazaqstan Development Team has no involvement in this case," Shushemoin continued. "Our team adheres to a zero-tolerance policy, and we work continuously with our riders to ensure they not only understand the consequences of doping but also the absurdity of trying to violate anti-doping rules." By severing ties with Dostiyev, XdS-Astana is unlikely to face any consequences. The team had already finalized their team roster for the upcoming season.

Read also

How Jonas Vingegaard believes he can challenge Tadej Pogacar in 2025 precisely because of his heavy crash

Bold Claim: Vingegaard’s Tour de France wins only happened because of Pogacar’s setbacks

LeMond opens up about doping and his feud with Armstrong: "Bizarre that the Armstrong era was even worse than the '90s"

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe