40-Year-Old Italian Esports Racer Faces Suspension After Positive Anti-Doping Test

The boundless World of Sports has been subjected to yet another controversy revolving around the Italian racer Luca Zanasca. In a world of fair competition, virtual sports have been hindered raising questions about maintaining integrity followed by the suspension of the racer during an anti-doping test. 

The decision has left the sports world in shock. This article chronicles detecting the presence of a particular drug, putting the honor of the prestigious event at stake. 

Shocking revelation of anti-doping test

The 40-year-old racer, Zanasca has been a reputable face in the world of professional road racing cycling grabbing the winning UCI title four times. He has represented Italy in the 2023 Esports World Championships and has acquired worldwide acclamation. However, news has gone viral, featuring Zanasca reporting the racer to be tested positive in an anti-doping test. 

Since he represented a national team, with a huge name comes huge responsibilities the racer highlighted his involvement in the anti-doping test pool. Based on the reports of Cycling News, Zanasca in one of his interviews with Bicidastrada.it in February said, “Until the end of the month I’ve got to behave like a pro rider: ADAMS, whereabouts and a 60-minute testing window.” 

The presence of Stanozolol, the banned steroid, has been detected in his system, raised speculations resulting in the suspension of Zanasca.  

Ongoing investigation and the legal ramifications

Having an otherwise remarkable history he secured his spot through the Continental selection process in the championship. Before making his debut in the world of Esports, Zanasca had taken part in continental-level road racing spanning between 2008 and 2012 which counts as a different experience as compared to virtual arenas. 

Read More: Another Cyclist Fails Doping Test Taking the Count to 4 at Adopsian Games

Besides, according to the information gathered from his LinkedIn profile, the racer lists himself as a Senior Manager of Development for Assos revealing the multifaceted talents of the athlete. His prowess has extended to being a part of the Team Castelli pb Elite Esports. However, the consequences of the anti-doping test led the team to make an announcement confirming Zanasca’s discontinuation from the events on the Zwift platform. 

Even though ambiguity prevails around the specific date of the test, the athlete awaits the confirmation of his competition ban through an impending investigation. Since doping in Italy is considered to be a criminal offense, there lies a possibility of Zanasca facing a ban of up to four years accompanied by other criminal charges.  

The fact that Zanasca has maintained silence and refrained from commenting on the situation adds an air of uncertainty to the situation. Amidst the stringent investigation procedure, the Esports community anticipates a more transparent future in the world of competitive gaming.

Watch This Story: Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep Merger Falls Through: A Dramatic Turn in the World of Championship Cycling