The UCI has acknowledged that the police search that led to the termination of Andrea Piccolo’s contract with EF Schooling-EasyPost was carried out following an investigation by the Worldwide Testing Company (ITA).
Late on Friday night, EF Schooling-EasyPost revealed that Piccolo had been stopped by Italian legislation enforcement authorities earlier that day “on suspicion of transporting Human Development Hormone”.
A report in La Gazzetta dello Sport indicated that Piccolo was stopped at an Italian airport. It was believed that he had just lately been coaching in Colombia, and he was as a consequence of experience the Italian championships on Sunday.
In an announcement on Saturday, the UCI stated that Piccolo had been below investigation by the ITA, who had been collaborating on the case with the Italian anti-doping company and Italian police.
“The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has taken be aware of the assertion made by UCI WorldTeam EF Schooling–EasyPost on 21 June 2024, saying the crew’s fast termination of its contract with Italian rider Andrea Piccolo as a consequence of suspicion of transporting human development hormone (hGH),” learn the assertion.
“The search carried out on the rider is the results of an investigation led by the Worldwide Testing Company (ITA) and its shut collaboration with the Nationwide Anti-Doping Organisation of Italy (NADO Italia) and Italian legislation enforcement authorities (NAS Carabinieri). The UCI welcomes this collaboration and can assess any additional motion which may be needed on this respect.”
Of their assertion on Friday night, EF stated that they’d suspended Piccolo with out pay in March after he had used “a sleeping support that was not authorized by the crew, although authorized”. The crew acknowledged they’d reported the utilization to the UCI on the time, and so they additionally claimed that they’d tried to dismiss Piccolo at that time. “On account of authorized causes surrounding the UCI commonplace rider contract, we have been unable to terminate his contract on the time,” continued the assertion.
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But regardless of the incident, Piccolo was nonetheless chosen for the Giro d’Italia in Might. It was Piccolo’s first race since March, when he withdrew from Paris-Good forward of stage 6. EF stated on the time that he had deserted Paris-Good as a consequence of a shoulder harm.
EF supervisor Jonathan Vaughters informed the Escape Collective web site that Piccolo had alerted him of the search through textual content message, writing: “Jonathan I converse to you sincerely as a result of I’ve already misplaced every thing and I’m conscious of this… I’ve taken 4 drugs from Colombia that I don’t need to title, I need to take my duty for this… They discovered them and confiscated them on the airport.”
Below the WADA code, “the Trafficking or Tried Trafficking in any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Methodology”, carries a minimal suspension of 4 years. Il Corriere della Sera has reported that Piccolo can also be “nearly sure” to face felony prices in addition to a sporting sanction.
Piccolo turned skilled with Astana in 2021 however he left the crew halfway by way of the season for “private well being causes” with out ever racing for them. He competed in Italian nationwide crew colors later within the marketing campaign earlier than becoming a member of Gazprom in the beginning of 2022.
He was launched from his Gazprom contract when the crew was suspended following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After a quick spell with Gianni Savio’s DroneHopper squad, Piccolo signed with EF in August 2022.
Piccolo made his Grand Tour debut eventually 12 months’s Vuelta a España, carrying the crimson jersey for a day. The 23-year-old started his 2024 season with a exceptional sequence of attacking shows on the Tour Colombia, having educated within the nation through the low season.
