VeloNews | Riccardo Ricco tests positive.
The French anti-doping agency (AFLD) confirmed Thursday that Italian climbing sensation Ricardo Ricco (Saunier Duval) has tested positive for new variant of the blood booster erythropoietin (EPO).
Ricco, winner of two mountain stages and ninth in the overall standings, provided a urine sample which contained the banned substance CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator).
Ricco was questioned by gendarmes before the start of Thursday’s 12th stage between Lavlanet and Narbonne. He was then driven away by them in a Saunier Duval team car.
Ricco was one of the riders particularly targeted by the AFLD during the race and had been tested at least four times, including his victories on stages six and nine.
Like synthetic erythropoietin (rEPO), CERA was developed to as a treatment for the anemia that results from chronic kidney disease. Unlike single injections of rEPO, CERA interacts with erythropoietin receptors and has a longer-lasting effect.
The often brash and outspoken Ricco finished second in this year’s Giro d’Italia and has won stages six and nine at this year’s Tour de France. He finished Wednesday’s stage 2:29 behind Australian Cadel Evans in the overall standings, putting him in ninth place.
Ricco becomes the third rider to fail a doping test in this year’s race after Spanish riders Moises Duenas (Barloworld) and Manuel Beltran (Liquigas) both tested positive for rEPO.
Much was made of the fact that Ricardo Ricco worshiped Marco Pantani, and he certain climbed like the now dead Italian. Now it appears that Ricco’s legs were not entirely natural talent …
Now, while I’m not sure about ASO and AFLD’s tactic of testing a rider over and over and over again, as it comes across as a witchhunt … sometimes, when what you’re seeing seems too good to be true, it probably is. If this sport is to survive, we need to get rid of the dopers, but it has to be done in a way that protects the rights of the riders.
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i don’t get all of the talk about ‘rights of the riders’. is there some riders’ bill of rights that i’m not aware of? this is a sporting event that has had doping issues. the riders should expect to be drug tested-and the ones that act suspiciously or return abnormal values should expect to be tested more often. that’s how you catch cheaters.
Except sometimes riders get screwed by incompetent anti-doping officials. Just ask Jason Sager, Cale Redpath, and Bart Gillespie about their experiences with USADA.
And there’s a fine line between targeted investigations and witchhunts … and how should borderline results be interpreted?
well, mistakes get made for sure. that’s why the appeals process exists. unfortunately, guilty riders like tyler and floyd make a mockery of it.
‘witchhunts’….there’s another word that people keep saying. so…the thesis is that the UCI(or in this case the AFLD) WANTS there to be positive results, so they chase after guys until they get them? or are you saying that there is someone at the testing agency that has some sort of agenda against ricco, et al? i’m sorry-that just doesn’t make sense to me…i think what’s happening is that the AFLD has a pretty good idea who is cheating based on previous testing. and they’re doing everything they can to catch the cheaters. isn’t that what we want?