Team Italy, MyWhoosh, and Zwift responded to the real-world doping violation of elite esports racer Luca Zanasca.
In a report by John Woodson dated October 7, 2023, and published in Gran Fondo Daily, the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO Italia) announced that 40-year-old esports cyclist Luca Zanasca tested positive for Stanozolol in an out-of-competition test and was provisionally suspended pending a hearing.
Zanasca, of Varese, Italy, competed as a professional from 2008 to 2012 and currently works in product development for the high-end cycling clothing brand Assos of Switzerland.
ZwiftPower, Strava, ProCyclingStats
Shortly before the pandemic began, Zanasca discovered cycling esports, and Zwift Team Italy recognized his potential, adding him to their elite men’s squad. Known for making stylish long-range attacks stick, the prolific and popular Zanasca amassed several elite-level victories and represented Italy in the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships—eliminated in the first round after finishing 57th.
Zwift Team Italy’s managers Niccolo Martinoli and Alessio Caggiula released the following official statement distancing themselves from Zanasca.
“In light of the recent precautionary suspension of athlete Luca Zanasca by the National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA), our organization wishes to announce that Mr. Zanasca will no longer participate in any virtual cycling events we host and/or participate. This decision is effective immediately and pertains solely to activities conducted on the Zwift platform, which is our exclusive venue for organizing virtual cycling events.“
In another statement, team managers added, “The Team wishes to emphasize that every rider competing for the Team Italy elite division, presently known as Team Castelli p/b Elite, is not currently under contract or holds a cycling license with the team.
We operate as an esports team and await recognition of our discipline under Italian law.“
To learn more about Luca, read this January 2023 The Zommunique’ interview!
Stanozolol, commonly known as Winstrol, is a synthetic anabolic steroid sometimes used by athletes, including cyclists, to enhance performance. It promotes muscle growth, increases red blood cell production, and aids fat loss. However, its use is associated with adverse effects, including cardiovascular issues, liver damage, hormonal imbalances, and psychological effects. Most sports organizations ban it due to these risks and potential unfair competitive advantages.
Zanasca is a frequent competitor on the cycling esports platform MyWhoosh, which is known for hosting big-money events, like the weekly Sunday Race Club series, with a monthly prize purse of over $90,000. The $1 Million MyWhoosh Championship series in April 2023 boasted the largest payout in cycling esports’ history—Zanasca finished 17th overall.
MyWhoosh swiftly removed the Italian esports star’s name from the Sunday, October 8, 2023, SRC start list and released the following statement today.
“We at MyWhoosh are concerned about the recent news about Luca Zanasca’s positive test for Stanozolol delivered by NADO Italia. We want to make it clear that we have strict verification and anti-doping control mechanisms as per MyWhoosh Cycling Esports Rules and Regulations, that are in compliance with the anti-doping rules and regulations established by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
We support NADO’s decision to suspend Mr. Zanasca temporarily while they investigate this matter further. We believe in keeping the competition clean and virtual racing fair for everyone.
When it comes to Mr. Zanasca’s status on MyWhoosh, he has been waved from participating in our premium events. We do not tolerate doping, and we are taking a strong stance against it.
MyWhoosh is about Fair Play, following the rules set by organizations like the UCI, and creating a community where athletes can compete with respect and honesty. We’ll keep working with anti-doping authorities to ensure virtual cycling stays clean and trustworthy to the sport. This incident demonstrates that there’s still much work to be done in esports regarding anti-doping controls, and it should be a joint effort within the industry to keep the play fair.”
MyWhoosh has also taken the step of retroactively removing Zanasca from the results of several months of SRC races. However, the decision regarding the forfeiture of his winnings is still under consideration.
In response to an inquiry seeking their reaction to the findings, Zwift issued the following statement today, taking a similarly swift and firm anti-doping stance.
“As you know, Zwift takes seriously our duty to deliver fair racing free of any kind of banned practices. We do not tolerate cheating of any kind. We understand via the rider’s team that he will not be available for selection while an investigation takes place. It would not be appropriate for us to comment on this matter during the ongoing investigation.
As per Appendix B in our Cycling Esports Rules and Regulations, Zwift reserves the right to apply different sanctions and recognize other sanctions applied by the UCI, National Cycling Federations, or other such competent bodies.“
Mr. Zanasca did not return requests for comment.
Semi-retired as owner and director of his private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice after over 20 years, Chris is blessed with the freedom to pursue his passion for virtual cycling and writing. On a continual quest to give back to his bike for all the rewarding experiences and relationships it has provided him, he created a non-profit. Chris is committed to helping others with his bike through its work and the pages of his site.
In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to New York to support the charity he founded, TheDIRTDadFund. His “Gain Cave” resides on the North Fork of Long Island, where he lives with his beautiful wife and is proud of his two independent children.
You will read him promoting his passion on the pages of Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. Chris is co-host of The Virtual Velo Podcast, too!
