Cycling news: Almost three weeks after the communication of a positive A sample for the substance Zeranol, the Bernese mountain biker Mathias Flückiger made his first official statement. Accordingly, the amount found in the A sample should be so small that it should only have been considered an atypical result, but not a positive result.
In the first official statement, the Swiss MTB pro protests his innocence and gives facts about the case. To his knowledge, he would never have taken any prohibited substance. However, the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne apparently found the smallest amounts of zeranol in the A sample of June 5, 2022. The Lausanne laboratory therefore pointed out in its doping control report on the A sample that this could indicate the consumption of contaminated meat, especially since Zeranol is not known to be a doping agent. According to the statement, the small amount found would have no performance-enhancing effect anyway.
In order to prevent false prejudices, WADA has issued instructions for the anti-doping authorities on how to proceed in such cases. However, Swiss Sport Integrity is said not to have followed this instruction. According to this, Mathias Flückiger's A-sample should only have been evaluated as an "atypical result", but not as a "positive result". It is also stated that the quantity found in Mathias Flückiger's A sample is many times lower (0.3 ng/mL) than the threshold value for possible meat contamination (5 ng/mL). In addition, Flückiger is said to have submitted two negative anti-doping samples a few days before and a few days after the June 5 test.
Mathias Flückiger is currently intensively examining all possible explanations as to how this atypical result could have come about. A hair analysis has already been commissioned from Prof. Pascal Kintz and Mathias Flückiger has assured Swiss Sport Integrity that he will be fully involved in any investigation. Mathias Flückiger does not want to provide any further information at this point in time due to the intensive investigations, the complexity of the case and the ongoing proceedings.
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