After a tumultuous period, Nairo Quintana returned to being a professional cyclist. However, his case of alleged doping in 2020 remains open. Behind the scenes, there are new developments. His former doctor, Fredy Alexander Gonzáles Torres, will now face prosecution due to his alleged involvement in the case.
Doctor accused of supplying doping
Gonzáles Torres is suspected of supplying banned substances to Nairo Quintana and his brother and teammate, Dayer, during the 2020 Tour de France, according to French news agency AFP.
“It was decided to prosecute the Colombian doctor,” authorities reported. Prosecutors accuse the doctor of “possession of a substance or method prohibited for sports use without medical justification”.
Possible consequences
The doctor risks receiving a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros. French justice began the investigation during the 2020 Tour, after the discovery of suspicious substances with health professionals from the Arkéa-Samsic team.
The cyclists were then questioned, but were allowed to continue the competition. Quintana finished in 17th place in the general classification. The case will be brought to court on September 2.
Case has no connection with 2022 case
This case is different from the positive result for Tramadol in the 2022 Tour. Quintana was excluded from the results of the Tour de France, where he finished in sixth place, after a positive result for Tramadol.
This painkiller is not (yet) on the WADA list of prohibited substances, but it is banned by the UCI. Quintana even appealed this disqualification, but the appeal was rejected by the TAS. This inaugurated a long and fruitless search for a new team, which ended only at the beginning of 2024, with its hiring by Movistar Team.
