Italian cyclist Leonardo Piepoli has admitted to doping during the 2008 Tour de France. The former Saunier Duval rider to Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport that he had made a mistake. “I must pay,” admitted the 37-year-old Piepoli, who was recently handed a two-year suspension based on the positive doping test at this year’s Tour.
Piepoli said he wouldn’t appeal the sentence: “In a difficult period, I followed the advice of the wrong people. But I am responsible for my mistake. I will accept my punishment.” said the rider. Piepoli was thrown out of the Tour de France by his team after teammate Ricardo Ricco tested positive for the new form of EPO called CERA. The French anti-doping agency AFLD later showed in tests that the Italian had also used CERA.
Until now, Piepoli had maintained his innocence about the doping charges. His former team-mate Riccardo Ricco admitted to the doping cooperating with his investigation in hopes of a lighter sentence, but his earlier behavior likely contributed to his two-year ban.
Ricco gave up the name of Dr. Carlo Santuccione as his supplier, but Piepoli refused to name anyone in the case saying, “That (naming his supplier) has no meaning.”