Italian continental rider Fabio Mazzucco has been suspended for four years after testing positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test.

The 23-year-old Mazzucco received an unfavorable analysis of his red blood cell booster in a test conducted on January 18, more than a month before his season debut at the GP Civitanova Marche in early March.

Cases of positive EPO are now rare due to the introduction of drug testing. However, continental teams are not required to participate in the UCI's Athlete Biological Passport program, which monitors blood values over time and can detect abnormalities and EPO use.

Mazzucco has signed a contract with Mg.K Vis-Colors for this season, and while awaiting the results of the B-sample, he will be participating in the one-day races Per Sempre Alfredo and GP Industria e Artigianato (both retirements), stage races Settimana Coppi e Bartali (108th overall).

According to a document updated by the UCI last week, he is now provisionally suspended from competition and will be banned from competition for four years under WADA rules.

Mazzucco, who hails from Este near Padua in northeastern Italy, turned pro in 2020 with Bardiani-CSF-Faizane, racing for the pro team for three years before stepping down to the continental level this year.

With Mg.K Vis, he took a breakaway stage win at the 2019 U23 Giro d'Italia on the white gravel roads of Tuscany and made his debut at the Italian Grand Tour the following year, riding in a breakaway on stage 11.

Mazzocco raced only 24 days in Bardiani in the 2022 season.

Last November he returned to the Tuscan team Mg.K Vis, but is now on a longer break from the sport.