Liquigas-Doimo rider’s fate finally looks sealed after sitting in limbo since May
The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has called for a two-year ban to be imposed against Liquigas-Doimo rider Franco Pellizotti. The 32-year-old from Udine has been provisionally suspended since May, when the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced that there were some irregularities in his Biological Passport.
Specifically, CONI refers to Pellizotti’s apparent: “violation of Article 2.2 of the WADA Code in relation to haematological abnormalities detected by the International Cycling in the biological passport with a request for disqualification of two years”.
The “abnormalities” in question reportedly date back from the 2009 Tour de France, where Pellizotti won the polka-dot mountains jersey and was awarded the prix de la combativité, as the race’s most aggressive rider. He was withdrawn from competition just a few day’s before this year’s Giro d’Italia, where he was hoping to improve on his second place of 2009. He was to be the joint captain of the Liquigas-Doimo team with eventual winner Ivan Basso.
Although he had been provisionally suspended since May, Pellizotti had not received any sanction and had planned to ride in this month’s Tour de France. He has been impatiently waiting for resolution of his case, and this request from CONI should see the matter finally settled.
Vania Rossi case shelved after negative B-sample
CONI has decided to close the case of Vania Rossi. She was the partner of controversial rider Riccardo Riccò until she was tested non-negative for CERA after the Italian cyclocross championships in January.
The 26-year-old had recently returned to competition after giving birth to her and Riccò’s first child. The B-sample failed to confirm the positive though, and so Rossi is free to return to competition.