Brazil's road race champions suspended for doping

Brazil's women's road race cycling champions Marcia Fernandes Silva and Nayara Gomes Ramos have been suspended from competition for doping.

Regional daily O Estado de Sao Paulo reported Wednesday the cyclists had been banned from the sport for two years after testing positive for EPO (erythropoietin), which works by boosting red blood cells to enhance athletic performance.

According to the Brazilian Cycling Confederation (CBC), both athletes declined to submit to a second test. The first was applied in June.

Fernandes, 23, comes from a family of cyclists, and in addition to being on the national cycling team is a member of Spain's professional cycling squad Bizkaia-Durango, which competes in elite events, including the Women's Road World Cup organized by the International Cycling Union.

Due to the ban, she'll be out of competition at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Gomes is Brazilian champion in the under-23 category.

The suspension automatically annuls both their records following the date of substantiated doping. The CBC's decision to suspend the athletes was taken on Oct. 15, though it wasn't made public until earlier this week.

The first Brazilian cyclist falling on doping charges in 2014 was Marcio Augusto Gripp, suspended in January for testing positive for anabolic steroids and other banned substances. Five cyclists have been suspended in all this year.