On Tuesday, the UCI announced that Germán Darío Gómez Becerra, who rides (rode?) for Team Polti VisitMalta tested positive for Boldenone and one of its metabolites. Boldenone is a good ole anabolic steroid. It was originally developed for veterinary use, but for athletes it’s used to increase muscle mass, strength, and red blood cell production.
Polti 2.0
Gómez Becerra’s team was (is?) sponsored by a familiar name in cycling, Polti.
Polti came back to the pro cycling peloton in 2024. It’s an Italian household appliance company that has a rich history in the sport. Originally, Team Polti was an Italian professional cycling team active from the early 1990s to 2000.
The team had all kinda superstars. After being chucked from the 1998 Tour de France during the Festina Affair, Richard Virenque joined Team Polti for the 1999–2000 seasons. Virengue won the Mountains classification in both years. The Frenchman also insisted he was clean, even as his former Festina teammates admitted using EPO.
A history of appliance
In 2007, ex-Polti rider Jörg Jaksche said he dabbled in the good stuff. He said he was first introduced to EPO by directeur sportif Gianluigi Stanga during the 1997 Tour de Suisse.
Then there’s the former world champion Gianni Bugno. The Italian star also raced for Polti towards the end of his career. He rode for several teams with a…dubious history of blood boosters. (But was never caught.)
In fact, the only time he got popped was for caffeine in 1994. Back then, it was possible to use caffeine if it was under a certain threshold. And he went way over it. For that, he received a two-year suspension.
But anyway, let’s not dwell the past. The current Polti team is run by Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso. Basso was a star cyclist, riding for teams like CSC or US Postal, and won the Giro d’Italia twice. In May 2007,
Basso appeared before the Italian National Olympic Committee, and admitted his involvement in a drug scandal, describing it as “attempted doping” and acknowledging that, while he hadn’t actually doped, he was aware that attempting it is equivalent to doping, and said he would serve his suspension before returning to racing. Anyway, he was suspended for two years.
Contador and Basso
Contador tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France. He claimed the trace amount came from contaminated meat, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled against him, determining he bore “strict liability” as the athlete. As a result, Contador was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France and Giro title, and received a two-year suspension, though he maintained his innocence throughout.
According to the statement from the good ole UCI, Gómez Becerra is now provisionally suspended after an out-of-competition test on Dec. 28. The test revealed the presence of Boldenone and one of its metabolites.
The UCI noted that Gómez Becerra “has the right to request the analysis of the B sample” and emphasized that it will not comment further while proceedings are ongoing. The statement also highlighted that operational aspects of the UCI’s anti-doping programme have been handled by the International Testing Agency (ITA) since January 2021, with the ITA’s Cycling Unit dedicated specifically to all cycling disciplines and operating independently under a service agreement with the UCI.
Polti’s statement
Gómez Becerra had several notable results, including fourth overall at the baby Giro. You may also remember an emotional scene with the rider when he was waiting for a wheel and was left stranded.
The new Polti team also released a statement after the news. Here it is in full:
“Today, we at Team Polti VisitMalta have received a notification from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) regarding a potential Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) by our rider, German Dario Gomez Becerra, referred to an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an out-of-competition test conducted on December 28, 2025. As a result, the UCI has imposed a mandatory provisional suspension on the rider with immediate effect,” it read.
“At Team Polti VisitMalta, we operate under a strict zero-tolerance policy towards doping. This principle is a non-negotiable foundation of our project and is clearly stipulated in all our contracts and in our Code of Conduct. In adherence to this policy and the UCI’s decision, we have also suspended the rider’s contract, and he will be excluded from all team activities pending the resolution of the proceedings,” the statement continued.
“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to clean cycling and will continue to collaborate fully with the UCI and all competent authorities to clarify the facts. Our team will always uphold the values of fair play and integrity in sport,” it concluded.