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Last April, Dutch cyclocross racer Denise Betsema was “provisionally suspended” by the UCI after testing positive for anabolic steroids in samples taken at the 2019 Hoogerheide World Cup and Superprestige Middlekerke. The provisionally suspended Betsema has not raced yet this season while she appealed her positive test.

Today, the UCI announced Betsema was given a 6-month suspension dating from April 2019. Her suspension retroactively ended on October 4, 2019, meaning she is now eligible to race cyclocross.

Sporza reported Betsema indicated she plans on racing for Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal this Saturday in Zonnebeke.

Update [1/20]: The Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal team said it will hold a press conference on Tuesday.

The full statement from the UCI is below.

UCI Statement on Suspension of Denise Betsema

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces today that Ms Denise Betsema was sanctioned with a six-month ineligibility period following an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV), for the presence of an anabolic androgenic steroid in samples collected during the Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup round in Hoogerheide (the Netherlands), on 27 January 2019, and the Telenet Superprestige Noordzeecross Middelkeker (Belgium), on 16 February 2019.

These tests had been planned and carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), the independent body mandated by the UCI responsible for defining and implementing cycling’s anti-doping strategy.

The athlete was provisionally suspended on April 5, 2019, and her period of ineligibility ended on October 4, 2019.

The case was resolved by acceptance of consequences in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Regulations. The resolution is subject to appeal by the National Anti-Doping Organisation of the Netherlands and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The UCI will not make any further comments.

Featured image: Bart Hazen