Mark Padun suspicious and controversial revelation from Dauphiné 2021 retires at 28

We had almost forgotten it. Mark Padun, the surprise of the Critérium Dauphiné 2021, retires in general anonymity at 28 years old. This is the reference site for cycling Pro Cycling Stats who announces the news this Saturday. As a reminder, the Ukrainian rider had a blank season with Team Corratec – Vini Fantini where he did not finish any races. Before that, he was coming out of another failed experience at EF Education – EasyPost. A formation with which everything started well, from the outset he won a time trial on the Gran Camiño in 2022, finishing in third place. Unfortunately this good result was his only feat of arms with the American team.

A suspicious and criticized exploit

Before attempting the adventure with EF, Mark Padun exploded in 2021 with his previous formation, Bahrain Victorious. Unknown to the peloton, the Ukrainian climber won two prestigious stages alone on the Critérium du Dauphiné. The first in front of Richie Porte in La Plagne, the second in front of Jonas Vingegaard in Les Gets, just that… Two exploits in a row coming from nowhere in a career far from its modest ones and far from the best years. In addition, his successes came a few months before the huge search in his training hotel suspected at the time of doping.

An affair which caused noise within the peloton, at the time, a sports director contacted by The Parisian regarding Padun’s successes declared: “It’s an absolute shame, how am I going to approach sponsors and tell them that there is no more doping when we see this? It’s rude. “.

Under fire from criticism, the Bahraini climber justified himself at the time, citing a weight loss of four kilos during training. “I’m also going to go on a diet, I’ll climb the bumps more easily,” quipped Julien Jurdie, the sporting director of AG2R-Citroën. Suspicions that the person concerned regretted, in 2022. “Some people wrote unfounded things,” he explained at The Team . “’It comes from nowhere.’ This is all false. It was very unpleasant, disgusting. The joy of my victories was stolen from me. “. Regrettable, but doubt persists around a runner who has never confirmed after a breathtaking feat.

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