Less than a year after admitting to using CERA in the Tour de France, it appears as if Italian Riccardo Ricco might have a road back into professional cycling through former cycling sponsor Mercatone Uno.

Ricco’s connection to the supermarket chain is that it was the main sponsor behind his idol Marco Pantani.  DEA press agency reported that former manager for team LPR Brakes Davide Boifava would likely be in charge of building the new squad.

Rumors to this effect have been flying around for more than a month, and with his suspension set to end in March of 2010 it won’t be long before the truth is known.  If the team does materialize, it will be curious to see what sort of fallout, if any, comes about from race organizers.