Riccardo Riccò
Encyclopedia
Riccardo Riccò is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy
, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France
for doping violations and suspended. Riccò returned to competition in late-2010, but in February 2011 he was fired by his team, , after he became seriously ill allegedly through a self-administered autologous blood transfusion.
levels exceeded those acceptable. Saunier Duval's sportif director, Mauro Gianetti
, suggested he spend a week in the UCI laboratory in Lausanne to prove that his blood values were natural. Further exhaustive tests by the UCI confirmed that Riccò´s hematocrit level was naturally over 50%. This has since been questioned however when, on July 17, 2008, it was revealed that Riccò had a non negative test for EPO, the hematocrit boosting drug, following the Tour de France stage 4 time trial at Cholet. It has since been suggested by fellow pro-rider Jérôme Pineau
that Riccò openly doped even as a junior rider.
and sixth in La Flèche Wallonne
in his first ever appearance in the Ardennes Classics. He rode the Giro d'Italia
as a domestique of team leader Gilberto Simoni
and in the process he took the 15th stage at Tre Cime di Lavaredo
ahead of his team-mate Leonardo Piepoli
. He would finish sixth overall, seven minutes behind eventual winner Danilo Di Luca
. In the season finale Giro di Lombardia
, he finished second after losing a two-man sprint with Damiano Cunego
.
In 2008, Riccò rode the Giro d'Italia
as team leader, and impressed in the mountains, taking two stage victories, the young rider's classification, and was 2nd overall in the general classification, 1:57 behind winner Alberto Contador
. It is suspected that Riccò's performance was not clean. Doping expert Michel Audran has stated that CERA was in use by some riders in the 2008 Giro CERA is the supposedly untraceable third generation EPO used by Riccò in the Tour de France weeks later.
On July 10, 2008, Riccò won stage 6 of the Tour de France with a hilltop finish at Super-Besse giving him his first Tour de France stage win. There were, however, some rumors saying that test results revealed abnormalities in his blood level. The team and the athlete claimed there were no doping issues, however, since Riccò has a naturally high hematocrit level. He reportedly has a UCI
certificate attesting to an hematocrit of 51%, 50% being considered the accepted upper limit since 1997. Three days later he achieved his second win at stage 9 of the Tour de France with a break away climb of the Col d'Aspin
.
(or CERA, a variant of Erythropoietin
), from a sample taken following the fourth stage, making him the third rider to test positive for this substance in the 2008 Tour de France
after Moisés Dueñas of Barloworld and Manuel Beltrán
of Liquigas
. He was immediately ejected from the Tour and his team Saunier Duval withdrew of their own volition. Saunier Duval announced the next day that team manager Mauro Gianetti had "lost faith in" Riccò and that he had been fired from the team He spent the night at the police station and was indicted on charges of "use of poisonous substances". Riccò denied the charges and told RAI
television;
It was later revealed that Riccò had attempted to escape doping control officials after stage 4 of the Tour, but had been caught in traffic. As a result of this, officials decided that he was to be tested after every stage. It was also revealed that CERA's manufacturer Roche Pharmaceuticals had secretly worked closely with the World Anti-Doping Agency
to develop a test for the drug, and this was how Riccò had been caught.
In the week following the race, Riccò admitted to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) that, independent of the team, he had been taking EPO in preparation for the 2008 Tour de France
, and he accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his teammates and fans. Riccò told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica
that it was the banned doping doctor Carlo Santuccione who supplied the new form of EPO.
Following Riccò's admission of guilt in the affair, his advisors had hoped for a 20-month sentence to be handed to the rider, but on October 2, 2008, he was handed a 2 year ban by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), which Riccò found disappointing; "I'm very disappointed and bitter. I expected better understanding. But I made a mistake and it's fair that I pay." However, on March 17, 2009, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
reduced the ban to 20 months because of his cooperation; he resumed racing in March 2010 on the team.
In August 2010, Riccò terminated his contract for , and signed a two-year contract with Dutch Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
.
On June 1, 2011 it was reported that Riccò was to join team Meridiana-Kamen in time for the Tour of Serbia. On June 11, CONI formally suspended Riccò, for "use or attempted use of prohibited methods."
On October 11, 2011, it was reported that Riccò confessed to the blood transfusion to CONI although his lawyer later denied these reports.
2006
2007
2008
2010
WD = Withdrew
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...
, currently under contract to UCI Continental team Meridiana-Kamen, and suspended from competition. He was ejected from the 2008 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...
for doping violations and suspended. Riccò returned to competition in late-2010, but in February 2011 he was fired by his team, , after he became seriously ill allegedly through a self-administered autologous blood transfusion.
Career
He joined UCI ProTeam in 2006 after two successful seasons as an amateur rider, during which he won the Settimana Bergamasca. Prior to joining the team he tried to become a professional with in 2005 but wasn't allowed because several blood tests revealed his hematocritHematocrit
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...
levels exceeded those acceptable. Saunier Duval's sportif director, Mauro Gianetti
Mauro Gianetti
Mauro Gianetti is a Swiss directeur sportif, and a former rider in professional road bicycle racing. Gianetti is employed as team manager for the cycling team....
, suggested he spend a week in the UCI laboratory in Lausanne to prove that his blood values were natural. Further exhaustive tests by the UCI confirmed that Riccò´s hematocrit level was naturally over 50%. This has since been questioned however when, on July 17, 2008, it was revealed that Riccò had a non negative test for EPO, the hematocrit boosting drug, following the Tour de France stage 4 time trial at Cholet. It has since been suggested by fellow pro-rider Jérôme Pineau
Jérôme Pineau
Jérôme Pineau is a French professional road bicycle racer. In 2009, he rides on the UCI ProTour for .- Major achievements :20022003-External links:*...
that Riccò openly doped even as a junior rider.
Saunier Duval (2006-2008)
Riccò's breakthrough came during the 2007 Tirreno–Adriatico, when he won two consecutive stages and the Points Classification. He also won a stage and finished second in Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali. He then finished ninth in Amstel Gold Race2007 Amstel Gold Race
The 2007 Amstel Gold Race cycling race took place on Sunday April 22. It was the 42nd edition of the annual road race in the Dutch province of Limburg....
and sixth in La Flèche Wallonne
2007 La Flèche Wallonne
The 71st edition of the La Flèche Wallonne cycling classic took place on April 25, 2007 and was won by the 2004 winner Davide Rebellin ahead of 2006 winner Alejandro Valverde and 2005 winner Danilo Di Luca.- 2007-04-25: Charleroi-Huy, 202 km :...
in his first ever appearance in the Ardennes Classics. He rode the Giro d'Italia
2007 Giro d'Italia
The 2007 Giro d'Italia was the 90th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place from 12 May to 3 June 2007. The race began in Sardinia and finished in Milan, and featured five mountain top finishes, of which one was an individual time trial...
as a domestique of team leader Gilberto Simoni
Gilberto Simoni
Gilberto Simoni is an Italian ex-professional road bicycle racer, most recently for . Simoni is twice winner of the Giro d'Italia cycling race...
and in the process he took the 15th stage at Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps...
ahead of his team-mate Leonardo Piepoli
Leonardo Piepoli
Leonardo Piepoli is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. He most recently rode for on the UCI ProTour, but had his contract suspended in July 2008 during the Tour de France amid allegations of the use of the blood boosting drug EPO in the team.-Career:He is a record four-time winner of the...
. He would finish sixth overall, seven minutes behind eventual winner Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
. In the season finale Giro di Lombardia
2007 Giro di Lombardia
The 2007 Giro di Lombardia is the 101st edition of this single day road bicycle racing monument race. The 242 km event took place on October 14, 2007 and was won by Damiano Cunego, the Italian rider for Lampre-Fondital in 5 hours, 52 minutes 48 seconds at an average speed of 41.16 km/h.-...
, he finished second after losing a two-man sprint with Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
.
In 2008, Riccò rode the Giro d'Italia
2008 Giro d'Italia
The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team...
as team leader, and impressed in the mountains, taking two stage victories, the young rider's classification, and was 2nd overall in the general classification, 1:57 behind winner Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
. It is suspected that Riccò's performance was not clean. Doping expert Michel Audran has stated that CERA was in use by some riders in the 2008 Giro CERA is the supposedly untraceable third generation EPO used by Riccò in the Tour de France weeks later.
On July 10, 2008, Riccò won stage 6 of the Tour de France with a hilltop finish at Super-Besse giving him his first Tour de France stage win. There were, however, some rumors saying that test results revealed abnormalities in his blood level. The team and the athlete claimed there were no doping issues, however, since Riccò has a naturally high hematocrit level. He reportedly has a UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
certificate attesting to an hematocrit of 51%, 50% being considered the accepted upper limit since 1997. Three days later he achieved his second win at stage 9 of the Tour de France with a break away climb of the Col d'Aspin
Col d'Aspin
Col d'Aspin is a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France.It connects Sainte-Marie-de-Campan and Arreau.-Tour de France:...
.
Positive test
On July 17, 2008, Riccò tested positive for the banned blood booster Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor ActivatorMethoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta
Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta is the active ingredient of a drug marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the brand name Mircera. Mircera is a long-acting erythropoietin receptor activator indicated for the treatment of patients with anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease. It is the...
(or CERA, a variant of Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
), from a sample taken following the fourth stage, making him the third rider to test positive for this substance in the 2008 Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
after Moisés Dueñas of Barloworld and Manuel Beltrán
Manuel Beltrán
Manuel Beltrán Martinez is a professional road bicycle racer from Spain. Beltrán won his first professional race at the 1997 Giro d'Italia, winning stage 19. His finishes in the Tour de France are somewhat misleading as he was a lieutenant for his team leader...
of Liquigas
Liquigas
Liquigas-Cannondale is an Italian professional road bicycle racing team in the UCI ProTour. The current title sponsor is Liquigas, a provider of liquified gas products in Italy. The second sponsor, Cannondale, is an American bicycle manufacturing company, whose sponsorship has led to a small...
. He was immediately ejected from the Tour and his team Saunier Duval withdrew of their own volition. Saunier Duval announced the next day that team manager Mauro Gianetti had "lost faith in" Riccò and that he had been fired from the team He spent the night at the police station and was indicted on charges of "use of poisonous substances". Riccò denied the charges and told RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
television;
Verdict
The prosecutor, Antoine Leroy, testified that medical supplies including syringes and equipment for intravenous drips were found in his hotel room, but were unused. According to AFP, the prosecutor said in the first searches, "there were no doping substances as such" found.It was later revealed that Riccò had attempted to escape doping control officials after stage 4 of the Tour, but had been caught in traffic. As a result of this, officials decided that he was to be tested after every stage. It was also revealed that CERA's manufacturer Roche Pharmaceuticals had secretly worked closely with the World Anti-Doping Agency
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
to develop a test for the drug, and this was how Riccò had been caught.
In the week following the race, Riccò admitted to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) that, independent of the team, he had been taking EPO in preparation for the 2008 Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
, and he accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his teammates and fans. Riccò told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica
La Repubblica
la Repubblica is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper. Founded in 1976 in Rome by the journalist Eugenio Scalfari, as of 2008 is the second largest circulation newspaper, behind the Corriere della Sera.-Foundation:...
that it was the banned doping doctor Carlo Santuccione who supplied the new form of EPO.
Following Riccò's admission of guilt in the affair, his advisors had hoped for a 20-month sentence to be handed to the rider, but on October 2, 2008, he was handed a 2 year ban by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), which Riccò found disappointing; "I'm very disappointed and bitter. I expected better understanding. But I made a mistake and it's fair that I pay." However, on March 17, 2009, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
reduced the ban to 20 months because of his cooperation; he resumed racing in March 2010 on the team.
In August 2010, Riccò terminated his contract for , and signed a two-year contract with Dutch Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team is a Dutch professional road race cycling team. They are a UCI ProTeam and compete in the UCI World Tour. The team was established in 2008, as the successor of P3 Transfer-Batavus, while also taking over many of the riders and staff of Cycle Collstrop, the former...
.
2011 blood transfusion incident
On February 6, 2011 Ricco was admitted to a hospital in critical condition after what has been diagnosed as kidney failure, allegedly due to a blood transfusion he performed on himself with 25 day old blood. Ricco admitted he had performed the transfusion to the doctor treating him in the presence of his girlfriend Vania Rossi. The doctor treating him reported this information to authorities leading to an investigation being opened against the professional cyclist by police and the Italian Olympic committee (CONI). He was well enough to be released from hospital within two weeks, and was sacked by his team . Riccò has denied blood doping, but also stated that he was finished with the sport, feeling he had already been convicted. He started a new career as a bartender, but he later changed his mind and said he would indeed like to race again. The team reportedly offered him a position provided he works with Italian police to combat doping and is not found guilty of attempted blood doping for his most recent incident.On June 1, 2011 it was reported that Riccò was to join team Meridiana-Kamen in time for the Tour of Serbia. On June 11, CONI formally suspended Riccò, for "use or attempted use of prohibited methods."
On October 11, 2011, it was reported that Riccò confessed to the blood transfusion to CONI although his lawyer later denied these reports.
Major results
2005- 1st Overall, Settimana Ciclistica LombardaSettimana Ciclistica LombardaThe Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda is an Italian cycle road race. In 2007, the race was organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, previously being a 2.2 race....
- 1st, Stage 2
- 1st, Stage 3
- 1st, Stage 4, Giro della Toscana
2006
- 1st, Japan CupJapan Cup (cycling)The Japan Cup is a road bicycle racing one-day event held each October in Japan since 1992. The Japan Cup is a popular and early season stop on the UCI Asia Tour and often includes several teams from the UCI ProTour. It is currently part of the UCI Asia Tour....
- 1st, Stage 5, Settimana internazionale di Coppi e BartaliSettimana internazionale di Coppi e BartaliThe Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali is an Italian cycle road race. It is run typically in late March over five days in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.-History:...
2007
- 1st, Stage 4, Tour de San LuisTour de San LuisThe Tour de San Luis is a road cycling race held in San Luis Province, Argentina. The race consists of only a men's competition over a prologue and five stages. The 2007 Tour de San Luis was the first edition of the race and was part of the 2006–2007 UCI America Tour.-Past winners:-References:* *...
- 2nd, Giro di Lombardia2007 Giro di LombardiaThe 2007 Giro di Lombardia is the 101st edition of this single day road bicycle racing monument race. The 242 km event took place on October 14, 2007 and was won by Damiano Cunego, the Italian rider for Lampre-Fondital in 5 hours, 52 minutes 48 seconds at an average speed of 41.16 km/h.-...
- 5th, La Flèche Wallonne2007 La Flèche WallonneThe 71st edition of the La Flèche Wallonne cycling classic took place on April 25, 2007 and was won by the 2004 winner Davide Rebellin ahead of 2006 winner Alejandro Valverde and 2005 winner Danilo Di Luca.- 2007-04-25: Charleroi-Huy, 202 km :...
- 9th, Amstel Gold Race2007 Amstel Gold RaceThe 2007 Amstel Gold Race cycling race took place on Sunday April 22. It was the 42nd edition of the annual road race in the Dutch province of Limburg....
- 2nd Overall, Settimana internazionale di Coppi e BartaliSettimana internazionale di Coppi e BartaliThe Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali is an Italian cycle road race. It is run typically in late March over five days in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.-History:...
- 1st, Stage 5
- 6th Overall, Giro d'Italia2007 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2007 Giro d'Italia was the 90th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place from 12 May to 3 June 2007. The race began in Sardinia and finished in Milan, and featured five mountain top finishes, of which one was an individual time trial...
- 1st, Stage 15
- 12th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico
- 1st, Stage 3
- 1st, Stage 4
- 1st, Points classificationPoints classificationThe points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
2008
- 2nd Overall, Giro d'Italia2008 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team...
- 1st, Youth classificationYoung rider classification in the Giro d'ItaliaSince 1976, The Giro d'Italia has had a young rider classification. The leader in this classification wears the maglia bianca . The classification is determined by the best overall time, but only young cyclists were in the competition....
- 1st, Stage 2
- 1st, Stage 8
- 1st, Youth classification
2010
- 1st, Coppa SabatiniCoppa SabatiniThe Coppa Sabatini is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Province of Pisa, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st Overall, Tour of Austria
- 1st, Stage 2
- 1st, Stage 4
- 2nd Overall, Settimana Ciclista Lombarda
- 1st, Stage 3
- 1st, Stage 5
- 1st, Points classificationPoints classificationThe points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
- 2nd Overall, Giro del TrentinoGiro del TrentinoThe Giro del Trentino is an Italian cycle road race. It is run typically mid-to-late April over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy....
- 1st, Stage 2
Grand Tours overall classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
- 2007 Giro d'Italia The 2007 Giro d'Italia was the 90th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place from 12 May to 3 June 2007. The race began in Sardinia and finished in Milan, and featured five mountain top finishes, of which one was an individual time trial... |
7 2008 Giro d'Italia The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team... |
2 2008 Giro d'Italia The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team... |
 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... |
97 2006 Tour de France The 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.... |
- 2007 Tour de France The 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... |
WD 2008 Tour de France The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage... |
WD = Withdrew