Vinícius Rangel accepts 20-month ban for whereabouts failures after ‘reasons beyond control’ and language barrier

The ban will begin on August 27, 2025, and remain in effect until April 26, 2027, with the rider accepting the sanctions imposed by cycling's governing body.

"The case has been resolved by way of an acceptance of consequences as provided for by the Code and the UCI ADR," the UCI stated in their announcement.

Whereabouts failures occur when athletes in registered testing pools fail to provide accurate location information for out-of-competition testing or are not available at the specified location during their designated time slot. Under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, three such failures in a 12-month period constitute an anti-doping rule violation.

The 24-year-old Rangel Costa currently rides for the Brazilian Continental team Swift Pro Cycling. He joined them after previously competing for Movistar, and he also represented Brazil at the Paris Olympics in 2025 where the rider finished 71st in the Elite Road Race.

Rangel Costa's most notable results to note include winning the the Brazilian national road race in 2022 along with a strong 9th-place finish in the U23 World Championship Road Race in 2021 behind some of the current top riders in the professional peloton

His last competition he competed in before his current suspension was the Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay where the Brazilian finished second in the general classification.

Rangel Costa took to social media on Wednesday to address the situation, emphasising that his violation was administrative rather than related to banned substances, and that a language barrier was also consequential.

“For reasons entirely beyond my control — and also due to difficulties with the language and communication in a system that I am still learning to deal with — I ended up being sanctioned by the UCI for failures in location tests, the so-called ‘whereabouts,’ wrote Rangel Costa in a social media post.

“At no time did I use any prohibited substances. I have always sought to follow the rules, honour the sport and compete fairly, with the same respect and dedication that have guided me since the beginning of my career.”

Rangel Costa was accepting of the punishment while expressing gratitude to his supporters. “But I recognise that I made mistakes in the procedures — mistakes that taught me a lot. I learned, the hard way, the importance of paying attention to every detail outside of competitions as well.”

“I want to express my immense gratitude to my team and everyone who has been with me during this time, to my family, fans and friends who continue to believe in me. Your understanding and support mean everything.”

Looking ahead to his return to competition once his 20-month ban is up, Rangel Costa remained optimistic, concluding that, “This break will be a time of learning, strengthening, and growing. I will come back stronger, more prepared and even more committed to contribute to clean, transparent and better cycling.”