Riccardo Riccò's girlfriend has denied taking the banned blood-boosting drug EPO CERA, revealing she breast fed her baby boy just before undergoing the anti-doping test on January 10 that showed the positive test.
The Italian Olympic Committee announced on Friday that Vania Rossi failed a test for EPO CERA after she finished second at the Italian national cyclo-cross championships. Ricco tested positive for the same drug at the 2008 Tour de France.
Just a month after he announced he had returned a non-negative test for DHEA at the 2009 USPRO TT championships, American rider Tom Zirbel has confirmed that his B-sample analysis is also positive.
Riccò’s 20-month ban for taking the banned blood boosting drug ends on March 18, just two days before Milano-Sanremo, which he hopes to ride. On Friday Riccò is expected to be the star of the Flaminia team presentation in Italy.
When asked to compare his punishment to the others cyclists who have served the maximum two-year suspensions, Rasmussen said plainly, "They have to find a way to justify kicking me out. If you ask me, you cannot take the probable winner of the Tour de France out four days before the end of the race and just give him a slap on the wrist and let him race again two weeks after. When you make a decision that radical you have to have him disappear for life."
Swedish rider Niklas Axelsson has tested positive for EPO for the second time in his career. The 36-year-old returned the positive control from a doping control conducted in September. He now faces a lifetime ban if the B-sample confirms the result.
Began the journey in Enmore, Sydney, Oz; drifted tectonically north after a bit to see trees and breathe air. Learnt about global warming in 1975, believed it by 1989. Warned my parents that Woy Woy would go under the waves, hasn't happened yet - but by gosh it will happen some day! Really old now, was young once. Read a few books, got too many ideas, a camera and a bike (or 10). Serial owner of Italian cars; made sense at the time. Intense. Distracted. Collected wife and kids along the way. Work in IT, because I can. Still ride and race bikes. Not overly optimistic. Live on a hill, waiting for tsunami.
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