# Matija Kvasina
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matija_Kvasina
> Source revision: 1335105822
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{{short description|Croatian cyclist}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Matija Kvasina
| image = TdB_2014_-_Matija_Kvasina.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Kvasina in 2014
| fullname = Matija Kvasina
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1981|12|4}}
| birth_place = [Nova Gradiška](/source/Nova_Gradi%C5%A1ka), [SFR Yugoslavia](/source/Socialist_Federal_Republic_of_Yugoslavia)
(now [Croatia](/source/Croatia))
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 180 cm
| weight = 72 kg
| currentteam =
| discipline = Road
| role = Rider
| ridertype =
| majorwins = '''[Stage races](/source/Race_stage)'''
:[Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour](/source/Rh%C3%B4ne-Alpes_Is%C3%A8re_Tour) (2014)
:[Tour of Croatia](/source/Tour_of_Croatia) ([2016](/source/2016_Tour_of_Croatia))
'''[Single-day races and Classics](/source/Classic_cycle_race)'''
:[National Time Trial Championships](/source/Croatian_National_Time_Trial_Championships) (2004, 2006–2008, 2013, 2015–2016)
:[National Road Race Championships](/source/Croatian_National_Road_Race_Championships) (2005)
| medaltemplates =
| show-medals =
| amateuryears1 =
| amateurteam1 =
| amateuryears2 =
| amateurteam2 =
| proyears1 = 2004–2008
| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|PER|2004}}
| proyears2 = 2009
| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|AMI|2009}}
| proyears3 = 2009
| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|LOB|2009}}
| proyears4 = 2010
| proteam4 = {{UCI team code|RAR|2010}}
| proyears5 = 2010–2012
| proteam5 = {{UCI team code|LOB|2010}}
| proyears6 = 2012
| proteam6 = {{UCI team code|Tuşnad|2012}}
| proyears7 = 2013–2015
| proteam7 = {{UCI team code|GMS|2013}}
| proyears8 = 2016
| proteam8 = {{UCI team code|BCP|2016}}
| proyears9 = 2017
| proteam9 = {{UCI team code|GMS|2017}}
}}
'''Matija Kvasina''' (born 4 December 1981) is a Croatian [racing cyclist](/source/racing_cyclist), who most recently rode for [UCI Continental team](/source/UCI_Continental_team) {{UCI team code|GMS|2017}}. He finished 56th in the road race and 38th in the road time trial at the [2008 Summer Olympics](/source/2008_Summer_Olympics) in [Beijing](/source/Beijing). In 2017, Kvasina was given a four-year doping suspension after a positive drugs test at that year's [Flèche du Sud](/source/Fl%C3%A8che_du_Sud).[{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kvasina-positive-for-epo-stimulator-at-fleche-du-sud/|title=Kvasina positive for EPO stimulator at Fleche du Sud - Cyclingnews.com|date=3 July 2017|publisher=}}]
==Career==
Born in [Nova Gradiška](/source/Nova_Gradi%C5%A1ka), Kvasina was named by {{UCI team code|BCP|2016}} as part of their squad for the 2016 season.[{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-shorts-bonnet-hoping-to-return-for-tour-de-france-terpstra-to-ride-rotterdam-six/ |title=News shorts: Bonnet hoping to return for Tour de France, Terpstra to ride Rotterdam six|date=13 November 2015 |website=[cyclingnews.com](/source/cyclingnews.com) |access-date=13 November 2015}}]
In 2016, he won the overall title at the [Tour of Croatia](/source/2016_Tour_of_Croatia).[{{cite web|title=Matija Kvasina wins the 2016 Tour of Croatia|url=http://www.tourofcroatia.com/en/news/matija-kvasina-wins-the-2016-tour-of-croatia/27|work=[Tour of Croatia](/source/Tour_of_Croatia)|accessdate=26 April 2016|date=24 April 2016|archive-date=28 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828102747/http://www.tourofcroatia.com/en/news/matija-kvasina-wins-the-2016-tour-of-croatia/27|url-status=dead}}]
==Doping==
Kvasina tested positive for an experimental drug known as [Molidustat](/source/Molidustat) (BAY-85-3934), during two tests taken during the 2017 [Flèche du Sud](/source/Fl%C3%A8che_du_Sud) - a race in which he won. Molidustat represents a class of drugs that act on the same physiological pathways and enzyme cascades as those which are activated during altitude training. Oxygen deprivation has the effect of stimulating the body's production of [erythropoietin](/source/erythropoietin) (EPO) - Molidustat imitates this.[{{cite web|url=http://wtop.com/news/2017/07/croatian-rider-excluded-from-tour-of-austria-for-doping/|title=Croatian rider excluded from Tour of Austria for doping|date=3 July 2017|publisher=}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}] Kvasina was subsequently kicked out of the 2017 [Tour of Austria](/source/Tour_of_Austria).[{{Cite web|url=http://www.uci.ch/mm/Document/News/CleanSport/17/63/88/20170703ProvisionalsuspensionsEN_English.PDF|title=Home}}]
In oxygen poor environments the human body manufactures a protein called [hypoxia-inducible factor](/source/hypoxia-inducible_factor) (HIF), which initiates and drives the processes which allow the body to adapt to those low-oxygen conditions. Typically this involves increasing the concentrations of naturally made EPO, mobilising iron and an increase in the rate of red blood cell production. Under normal oxygen environmental conditions, HIF is kept in check (its actions are inhibited) by an enzyme called [prolyl hydroxylase](/source/Procollagen-proline_dioxygenase) (PH). Moldustat stops PH from blocking HIF, thus, increasing both the concentrations of EPO and red blood cells in the body, imitating altitude training.National Road Championships
::1st 20px [Time trial](/source/Croatian_National_Time_Trial_Championships)
::2nd [Road race](/source/Croatian_National_Road_Race_Championships)
: 1st 20px Overall [Flèche du Sud](/source/Fl%C3%A8che_du_Sud)
: 7th Overall [Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour](/source/Alpes_Is%C3%A8re_Tour)
::1st Mountains classification
{{div col end}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{sports links}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kvasina, Matija}}
Category:1981 births
Category:Living people
Category:Croatian male cyclists
Category:Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic cyclists for Croatia
Category:Sportspeople from Nova Gradiška
Category:Sport in Brod-Posavina County
Category:Doping cases in cycling
Category:21st-century Croatian sportsmen
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matija Kvasina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matija_Kvasina) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matija_Kvasina?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.