'Intelligence-led testing' leads to positive doping case at UAE Tour Women
The International Testing Agency (ITA) has announced that Linda Laporta of Vini Fantini-BePink tested positive for enobosarm at last month's UAE Tour Women. The Italian has been provisionally suspended pending analysis of the B-sample.
Italian rider Linda Laporta has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for enobosarm at the UAE Tour Women in February.
In a statement, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said that the sample had been collected during an “intelligence-led testing mission” on February 5.
Enobosarm, also known as ostarine, is a non-steroidal anabolic agent that is prohibited both in and out of competition. According to the ITA, the substance has been shown to increase lean body mass and promote muscle growth.
Laporta raced at the recent Setmana Valenciana and Trofeo Oro in Euro, but she has now been provisionally suspended pending the analysis of the B-sample.
The 26-year-old, who rides for Vini Fantini-BePink, is in her third season as a professional. Her best results were top 10 finishes at last year’s Giro del Veneto and Giro dell’Appennino.
Laporta competed in gymnastics as a teenager before turning her attention to cycling in 2022. She was handed a contract with BePink in 2025 after testing at the Mapei Centre and she was selected in the team for last year’s Giro d’Italia Women.
Neither Laporta nor Vini Fantini-BePink have responded to the news of her positive test and provisional suspension.
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