CAS rejects Vlad Dascalu's suspension appeal
Mountain biker suspended from competition in May 2024 after multiple whereabouts failures
Update April 8, 2025
The World Cup mountain bike season has begun in Araxá, Brazil, but Vlad Dascalu won’t be on the startline this year.
Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Dascalu’s appeal of his 17-month suspension for missing three whereabouts infractions in a 12 month period.
The decision means Dascalu will not be able to race until his suspension is up on October 20, 2025.
It’s unclear what Dascalu’s career plans may be after the suspension, though as we reported he still has relationships with his team and sponsors. The Romanian’s social media has been quiet for almost one year, and he has not given any media interviews.
Update January 20, 2025
Little information about Vlad Dascalu and his anti-doping suspension is available 8 months after his alleged infraction and subsequent suspension in May 2024.
Last year, the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal said that Dascalu committed three whereabouts failures in a 12-month period, leading to a 17-month suspension.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed to Ryan MTB that Dascalu filed an appeal on June 25, 2024. “Procedures are ongoing and we are unable to provide a further update at this time,” a spokesperson for CAS said.
The Romanian rider still has relationships with his sponsors. Trek said Dascalu is still under contract but couldn’t provide any more details of updates on the case.
Red Bull Romania said they are in “close contact” with Dascalu. “On the short and medium term his focus is on other activities and he is not open to any kind of discussions/interviews,” Red Bull said.
Ryan MTB will continue to follow this story. Contact me to provide news tips.
Original article published May 22, 2024
Mountain bike World Cup racer Vlad Dascalu has been suspended from competition by the Union Cycliste Internationale for 17 months, meaning the promising Romanian rider will miss the Paris Olympic Games as well as the entire 2025 season.
The UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal says that Dascalu committed three whereabouts failures in a 12-month period, according to a short statement from the UCI. Dascalu has the option to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport within one month.
Trek Factory Racing “has indefinitely suspended Vlad Dascalu from all team activities,” according to a two-sentence statement from the team.
As of Wednesday evening, Dascalu has not posted on social media or released a statement.
The whereabouts system requires riders to tell anti-doping authorities where they are everyday of the year so that out-of-competition tests can be administered. In this case, it appears that Dascalu failed to do that at least three times in the past year.
The 26-year-old Dascalu has showed promising results the past couple of seasons, placing fifth at the World Championships last year and winning the European Championships. This season he earned two top-10 results in the first two World Cup races of the season. The suspension news comes days ahead of the third round of the World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě, Czechia.
Currently placed 11th in the Mountain Bike World Cup overall standings, Dascalu likely would have been a shoe-in for Romania’s team at the Olympics mountain bike race. He placed 7th at the Tokyo Games.
While a 17-month suspension may appear harsh to some, the whereabouts system does offer at least some leniency. It’s a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ system, so Dascula would have known that he had two prior ‘strikes.’ Whereabouts notifications are also a burden that all pro cyclists must follow, making it a duty of the job.
This charge marks the first major mountain biking anti-doping incident since Mathias Fluckiger’s suspension in 2022. The Swiss rider’s suspension was lifted and he was acquitted of any wrongdoing.
This reporter will follow this story and bring any subsequent updates.