There was no immediate reaction from the second-tier team, whose roster includes several former WorldTour riders.
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An Italian tested positive during an ‘intelligence-driven’ control. (Photo: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Published April 16, 2026 03:19PM
Teenager Bálint Makrai has been provisionally suspended in the latest doping case after testing positive for a metandienone metabolite, the International Testing Agency confirmed Thursday.
The ITA said an out-of-competition sample collected on March 30, 2026, returned an adverse analytical finding for a synthetic anabolic steroid, also known as Dianabol.
Makrai, 19, rides for MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort, a Hungarian squad that stepped up from Continental level to the ProTeam ranks this season.
There was no immediate reaction from the team, whose roster includes former WorldTour riders Fausto Masnada, Alessandro Verre, Nicolò Buratti, and Barnabás Peák.
Makrai has been notified of the case and retains the right to request analysis of his B-sample.
Metandienone is on the 2026 Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency as an S1.1 anabolic androgenic steroid. It is banned at all times and classified as a non-specified substance.
The drug is known to increase testosterone levels, boosting muscle mass, endurance, and strength, the ITA said.
Under anti-doping rules, Makrai remains provisionally suspended pending the outcome of the B-sample analysis.
It’s the latest in a growing string of cases since the ITA took over full management of cycling’s anti-doping procedures from the UCI this year.