Italian Vania Rossi, the former girlfriend of Riccardo Riccò, has had a “non-positive” result returned from her request for the B-sample to be tested. Rossi tested positive for the third generation form of EPO, CERA, at a control that was taken following the National Cyclo-cross Championships on January 20th, where she finished in second place.
This is the first instance of a B-sample coming back and not confirming the result in a case involving Cera. “The minimum levels have not been found [in the B-Sample] that are required to meet the criteria for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA),” the Italian Olympic Committee said, according to Tuttobiciweb.
In both cases the analytical results of the tests were confirmed, as per WADA regulations, by the laboratory of Chatenay-Malabry, France.
The couple has recently separated reportedly due to Riccò’s Ceramica Flaminia team being left off the wild card invitation list for Milan-Sanremo. Since the snub by race organizers RCS Sport, it has also been confirmed that the team will also not be a part of their marquee event, the Giro d’Italia.
Francesco Botrè, the director of the anti-doping laboratory in Rome, told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “This does not mean that the B sample that was recently tested did not have the substance present, indeed. Only that the amount was not sufficient to meet the minimum standards required by the World Anti-Doping Agency.”
The question now remains as to whether the presence of the substance has diminished over time. The case will now be handed over to the CONI anti-doping prosecutor.
There has been no reaction from either cyclist on the news.