Since regular doping tests have been carried out at the races of the Enduro World Series events in the enduro racing circus come thick and fast. Last year, the two serial winners, mates and long-time team-mates got tangled up Jared Graves and Richie Rude in the net of doping investigators. Now gravity high-flyer Martin Maes publicly justify a positive doping finding.
Did Martin Maes really dope?
When it comes to Excuses after a positive doping result athletes show particular creativity. Richie Rude and Jared Graves also tried to shift the blame for their positive doping findings in 2018 via contaminated food supplements. A classic.
In contrast to many an implausible explanation in the past, Martin Maes explains clearly how his positive doping test came about. A lower leg injury that the Belgian sustained in spring 2019 during an enduro race in New Zealand was treated with a drug (active ingredient: probenecid). Because the wound became infected, the race doctor administered the drug, which ultimately led to a positive doping finding. This medication did not improve his performance. On the contrary: Martin Maes had to end the race prematurely. Maes' positive doping sample was collected a few weeks later at the EWS race in Tasmania.
Dr Tom Jerram, the race doctor for the NZ Enduro race, prescribed Maes the appropriate medication at the time and explains the situation as follows:
"Martin had suffered a lower leg injury that developed into a serious infection during his participation in the New Zealand Enduro (8-10 March 2019). The infection worsened despite the standard doses of antibiotics administered and it had the potential to become life-threatening. The doctors at New Zealand Enduro decided to administer probenecid, which is often prescribed to increase blood levels of penicillin-type antibiotics, and it proved effective in treating Martin's infection. It is a common part of all our practices to administer this medicine for serious infections. At the time, neither the volunteer medical team nor Martin was aware that probenecid was on the banned substances list. It has no performance-enhancing effects, and in fact Martin's performance was probably impaired in the following weeks due to the severity of the infection."
German enduro champion Christian Textor also confirms this statement:
Martin Maes banned for 90 days
Despite the understandable explanation as to how Martin Maes' positive doping test came about, the Belgian has been sanctioned by the UCI with a 90-day ban from competition. Maes will therefore not be at the start of this weekend's EWS race in Canazei. Maes' victories in the EWS races in Tasmania and New Zealand will be forfeited. He will also have to pay a fine of 2500 Swiss francs to the UCI. Martin Maes himself reacted sadly on his Facebook account:
Maes is out - Richie Rude back on board
Fate or coincidence. Martin Maes will not be racing any more in the near future, while Richie Rude has announced that he will be making his comeback at the EWS race in the Dolomites. The latest doping findings from the enduro circus make one thing clear above all: the still young sport of enduro has similar problems to all cycling disciplines. Athletes and teams urgently need to get to grips with the doping regulations and show more professionalism.
