Michele Ferrari
Encyclopedia
Michele Ferrari is an Italian
physician, cycling
coach and author.
, Emilia-Romagna
, where he still lives. After an early career researching and publishing papers concerning the anaerobic threshold of various athletes, he settled on his lifelong interest in the development of training programmes for professional cyclists.
One of Ferrari's earliest successes was coaching Francesco Moser
to achieve the hour record
in 1984, crushing the great Eddy Merckx
's mark by more than a mile.
Initially Ferrari worked with Prof. Francesco Conconi
in Ferrara, who developed testing techniques for human performance, using methods such as monitoring the heart rate during exercise and recovery. Another controversial Italian doctor, Luigi Cecchini
, is their common disciple. They have shared the care for some cyclists throughout their careers.
From 1984 onwards Ferrari achieved extraordinary improvements in the fitness of many cyclists. Ferrari populised the use of VAM
, a parameter now used in cycling as a measure of fitness and speed.
Perhaps the most famous athlete to have been coached or advised by Ferrari is Lance Armstrong
. Ferrari was involved with the US Postal Service Cycling Team until October 2004, helping Armstrong train during several of his seven straight Tour de France
victories.
Two years after Ferrari had been found not guilty of the all of the original charges related to distributing drugs to leading riders, Armstrong responded to Ferrari's guilty verdict for malpractice in the Italian Court case with the following statement;
Ferrari's conviction in Italian court was based partly on testimony from Italian bicycle racer Filippo Simeoni
. Admitting he had been doped since 1993, he went on to tell how he became affiliated with Ferrari in 1996. Apart from a prescription of EPO
hormone, "we spoke about andriol (testosterone
) which I was to use after hard training sessions with the aim of increasing my muscular power", as testified by Simeoni. In order to avoid being busted by anti-doping controlles, "Dr. Ferrari recommended I use Emagel the morning before controls, and another product to decrease my hematocrit
", Simeoni testified. Ferrari said in his testimony: "Andriol is easily detectable for several days in a normal urine test, so, it is impossible that I suggested he take one Andriol 20 hours before another race."
On 27 May 2006, CyclingNews.com reported that the Italian appeals court absolved Ferrari of guilt on both the charges of sporting fraud and the charges relating to abuse of his medical license to write prescriptions "because the facts do not exist" to support these charges.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
physician, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
coach and author.
Biography
Ferrari was born in FerraraFerrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
, Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
, where he still lives. After an early career researching and publishing papers concerning the anaerobic threshold of various athletes, he settled on his lifelong interest in the development of training programmes for professional cyclists.
One of Ferrari's earliest successes was coaching Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser
Francesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments...
to achieve the hour record
Hour record
The hour record for bicycles is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle. There are several records. The most famous is for upright bicycles meeting the requirements of the Union Cycliste Internationale . It is one of the most prestigious in cycling...
in 1984, crushing the great Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
's mark by more than a mile.
Initially Ferrari worked with Prof. Francesco Conconi
Francesco Conconi
Francesco Conconi is an Italian sports doctor and scientist, with disciples such as Michele Ferrari and Luigi Cecchini. Conconi is a Professor at the University of Ferrara in Italy where he heads the Centro Studi Biomedici Applicati allo Sport or Biomedical Research Institute...
in Ferrara, who developed testing techniques for human performance, using methods such as monitoring the heart rate during exercise and recovery. Another controversial Italian doctor, Luigi Cecchini
Luigi Cecchini
Luigi Cecchini is an Italian sports doctor that is active in road bicycle racing. He is well known as maker of training schemes that he writes for his clients as well as use of the SRM cycle computer....
, is their common disciple. They have shared the care for some cyclists throughout their careers.
From 1984 onwards Ferrari achieved extraordinary improvements in the fitness of many cyclists. Ferrari populised the use of VAM
Velocity Ascended, Metres per hour
VAM is an acronym for the Italian phrase 'velocità ascensionale media,' which translates to English as 'average ascent speed.' The term was coined coined by Dr Michele Ferrari and is the speed of elevation gain, usually stated in units of meters per hour...
, a parameter now used in cycling as a measure of fitness and speed.
Perhaps the most famous athlete to have been coached or advised by Ferrari is Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
. Ferrari was involved with the US Postal Service Cycling Team until October 2004, helping Armstrong train during several of his seven straight Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
victories.
Two years after Ferrari had been found not guilty of the all of the original charges related to distributing drugs to leading riders, Armstrong responded to Ferrari's guilty verdict for malpractice in the Italian Court case with the following statement;
- I was disappointed to learn of the Italian court's judgment against Dr. Michele Ferrari. Dr. Ferrari has been a longtime friend and trusted adviser to me and the USPS team, during which time he never suggested, prescribed or provided me with any performance-enhancing drugs. I was pleased to hear that Dr. Ferrari was acquitted of the charge of providing illegal drugs to athletes. I am not surprised by that verdict. However, I have always said that I have zero tolerance for anyone convicted of using or facilitating the use of performance-enhancing drugs. As a result of today's developments, the USPS team and I have suspended our professional affiliation with Dr. Ferrari as we await the release of the full verdict, which will contain Judge Maurizio Passerini's reasoning. In the meantime, I personally wish the very best for Dr. Ferrari and his family during this difficult time.
Ferrari's conviction in Italian court was based partly on testimony from Italian bicycle racer Filippo Simeoni
Filippo Simeoni
Filippo Simeoni is an Italian former racing cyclist and the 2008 Italian road race champion. His most important victories were the two stages he won in the Vuelta a España in 2001 and 2003, and the 2008 Italian National Road Race Championship.-Biography:He was born in Desio in the province of...
. Admitting he had been doped since 1993, he went on to tell how he became affiliated with Ferrari in 1996. Apart from a prescription of EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
hormone, "we spoke about andriol (testosterone
Testosterone
Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group and is found in mammals, reptiles, birds, and other vertebrates. In mammals, testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females, although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands...
) which I was to use after hard training sessions with the aim of increasing my muscular power", as testified by Simeoni. In order to avoid being busted by anti-doping controlles, "Dr. Ferrari recommended I use Emagel the morning before controls, and another product to decrease my hematocrit
Hematocrit
The hematocrit or packed cell volume or erythrocyte volume fraction is the percentage of the concentration of red blood cells in blood. It is normally about 45% for men and 40% for women...
", Simeoni testified. Ferrari said in his testimony: "Andriol is easily detectable for several days in a normal urine test, so, it is impossible that I suggested he take one Andriol 20 hours before another race."
On 27 May 2006, CyclingNews.com reported that the Italian appeals court absolved Ferrari of guilt on both the charges of sporting fraud and the charges relating to abuse of his medical license to write prescriptions "because the facts do not exist" to support these charges.
Athletes associated with Michele Ferrari
- All of team that took the entire podium in the 1994 edition of La Flèche WallonneLa Flèche WallonneLa Flèche Wallonne is a major men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Belgium.The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is today normally held mid-week between the Amstel Gold Race and Liège–Bastogne–Liège...
: Moreno ArgentinMoreno ArgentinMoreno Argentin is an Italian former professional cyclist .Born in San Donà di Piave , he won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse. Known as Il Capo , he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège four times, the La Flèche Wallonne three times and the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Giro...
, Giorgio FurlanGiorgio FurlanGiorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:19861990Giorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:1986...
and Eugeni BerzinEugeni BerzinEvgeni Berzin is a Russian cyclist whose best year was 1994, when he won the Giro d'Italia and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Only 24 at the time, Berzin was then tipped as being a future megastar in cycling, but he was never quite able to live up to the results of 1994. In 1995, he was second at the Giro... - Lance ArmstrongLance ArmstrongLance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
- Tyler HamiltonTyler HamiltonTyler Hamilton is a former American professional road bicycle racer and former Olympic gold medalist. Hamilton became a professional cyclist in 1995, and during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tour de France was a teammate of Lance Armstrong who won those races.Hamilton appeared at the 2000 Summer...
: stated he worked with Ferrari for one year - Paolo SavoldelliPaolo SavoldelliPaolo Savoldelli is an Italian former road racing cyclist and winner of the 2002 and 2005 Giro d'Italia....
- Mario CipolliniMario CipolliniMario Cipollini , often abbreviated to "Cipo", is a retired Italian professional road cyclist most noted for his sprinting ability, the longevity of his dominance and his colourful personality. His nicknames include Il Re Leone and Super Mario...
- Gianni BugnoGianni BugnoGianni Bugno is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist.-Biography:Bugno was a versatile rider, able to do well in different types of races. He won numerous stages in the Tour de France, and the Milan – San Remo classic in 1990...
- Giorgio FurlanGiorgio FurlanGiorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:19861990Giorgio Furlan is an Italian former road bicycle racer.-Major results:1986...
- Pavel TonkovPavel TonkovPavel Sergeyevich Tonkov is a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia. His talents were first showcased when winning the world junior title as part of the Soviet Union team in 1987. This alerted the world to his talents and he turned pro in 1992 with the RUSS-Baïkal team. His biggest...
- Cadel EvansCadel EvansCadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
- Tony RomingerTony RomingerTony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
- Abraham OlanoÁbraham OlanoAbraham Olano Manzano is a Spanish Basque former professional road racing cyclist. His crowning achievement came in 1995 when he became World Road Champion...
- Ivan GottiIvan GottiIvan Gotti is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist.Gotti was born at San Pellegrino Terme, Lombardy. He first came to prominence by finishing 5th overall in the 1995 Tour de France...
- Claudio ChiappucciClaudio ChiappucciClaudio Chiappucci is a retired Italian professional cyclist. He was on the podium three times in the Tour de France general classification - second in 1990, third in 1991 and second again in 1992.-Career:...
- Filippo SimeoniFilippo SimeoniFilippo Simeoni is an Italian former racing cyclist and the 2008 Italian road race champion. His most important victories were the two stages he won in the Vuelta a España in 2001 and 2003, and the 2008 Italian National Road Race Championship.-Biography:He was born in Desio in the province of...
: admitted to doping - Patrik SinkewitzPatrik SinkewitzPatrik Sinkewitz is a professional German road racing cyclist for . He is a climbing specialist who can ride well over a stage race, as in winning the 2004 nine-stage Deutschland Tour. He has also ridden well in one-day races such as Liège–Bastogne–Liège, which he finished in the top 10 in 2006...
: suspended for positive out-of-competition test while preparing for 2007 Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
; admitted to doping - Eddy MazzoleniEddy MazzoleniEddy Mazzoleni is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for UCI ProTour Astana Team....
- Floyd LandisFloyd LandisFloyd Landis is an American retired cyclist who after initially being awarded victory in the 2006 Tour de France was stripped of his title for a doping offense. He was an all-around rider, with special skills in climbing and time-trialing, and is also known to be a very fast descender.Landis...
: suspended for positive doping test at 2006 Tour de France2006 Tour de FranceThe 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
; admitted to doping - Levi LeipheimerLevi LeipheimerLevi Leipheimer is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His major results are winning the 2007–2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré and the 2005 Deutschland Tour, coming in second in the 2008 Vuelta a España, third in the 2001 Vuelta a...
- Axel MerckxAxel MerckxAxel Merckx , is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer who retired from the sport in August 2007. Since he began his professional career in 1993, he has won an Olympic Bronze medal and competed in 8 Tours de France, finishing in 6 as the highest-placed Belgian rider...
- Alexandre Vinokourov: suspended for positive doping test at 2007 Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
- Michael Rogers