Aldo Sassi expresses desire to coach Riccardo Ricco
Italian cycling coach Aldo Sassi has said that he is keen to work with compatriot Riccardo Ricco, despite the rider's suspension following a doping test at the 2008 Tour de France.
Ricco tested positive for Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator, a form of Erythropoietin, after completing the fourth stage of the Tour two years ago. After serving a 20-month ban, the Giro D'Italia
stage winner resumed training in March this year. In August, he signed a contract with Dutch outfit Vacansoleil.
"I think Riccardo is the best climber out there. He's important for cycling in both Italy and the world and we can't afford to lose him," Sassi said ahead of the World Championships in Australia.
Sassi currently coaches Ivan Basso, Michael Rogers and Cadel Evans, with the latter widely tipped to defend his gold medal from last year's World Championships.
The 51-year-old, who is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumour, said that he could identify a few areas in which he could help Rocci progress.
"I've never spoken to him but I'd like to coach him and work with him closely; on a personal level, psychologically level and how he communicates with people and with the media. I worked on some of these
aspects with Basso, especially the communication aspect."
Oscar Freire Sassi's favourite
Sassi also offered some predictions for Sunday's race, saying that three-time world champion Oscar Freire is his personal favourite, but that several other riders will also be in contention.
"It's not a course for sprinters like [Mark] Cavendish and it could turn out to be a really selective race. Evans has told me that it's possible to come through late in a sprint. The line through the last
corner will be decisive, before the rising finishing straight... but [Philippe] Gilbert is the big threat and [Filippo] Pozzato could be a contender if he has a good day."
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