Doping alert: rider tests positive for CERA two days prior to World Championships in Zurich

In an official statement shared via social media, the team confirmed this news. "On November 4th, 2024, Pierre Baguette Cycling Team was informed by the UCI that Czech rider Daniel Vysocan has been notified of a potential Anti-Doping Rule Violation for the presence of methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (CERA)," the statement reads.

"This is a prohibited substance, found in his A-Sample, collected during an out-of-competition test on September 25th, 2024, in Zurich," the team continues. This was two days before the U23 World Championships, where the Czech rider ultimately did not finish the race. "Daniel Vysocan last participated in Pierre Baguette Cycling Team's racing calendar in 5 through 8 September 2024. His entry in the 2024 UCI Worlds in Zurich was managed entirely independently, with no support, involvement, or association with the team."

Vysocan, who finished sixteenth in this year’s Tour de l'Avenir, has nonetheless brought discredit to his team. "Pierre Baguette Cycling Team enforces an absolute zero-tolerance policy regarding doping. We are fully committed to safeguarding the integrity of cycling, a sport we deeply respect. Every team member is held to the highest standards of integrity and accountability, and any deviation from these standards is not accepted."

Vysocan has been suspended by his team with immediate effect, pending the results of his B-sample. If this sample also tests positive for CERA, his contract will be terminated immediately. This season, Vysocan represented his team in the Tours of Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, with his best result being a sixth place in the Tour of South Bohemia.