Riccardo Ricco’s home raided
Riccardo Ricco has, perhaps unsurprisingly, become involved in the Italian investigation named after him. Operation Cobra-Red investigators raided Ricco’s home in the belief that the cyclist is involved in a comprehensive, nation-wide doping ring. The police
found more than 50 unidentified, partially crushed tablets stored in a safe.
The Team Vacansoleil rider has become involved due to his name appearing in a series of intercepted telephone calls between others involved in the investigation. His former teammate Rossi was one of six riders arrested earlier this month, though the number
of suspects involved in the doping ring is said to be approximately 35, at least six of them professional cyclists.
Operation Cobra-Red takes its name from Ricco’s nickname, Cobra, and the Italian word for Red, Rosso, a pun on the name of Enrico Rossi. Rossi is himself a subject of the investigation, as is his sister Vania. Vania Rossi and Riccardo Ricco, meanwhile, have
an newborn child together.
Ricco has only recently returned to the sport from a 20-month ban due to a positive test taken at the 2008 Tour de France. He was among the first cyclist to test positive for CERA, a blood-booster similar to EPO which has been available on the black market
since 2005 but was only tested for by the UCI as of 2008. The drug turned out to have been widely used, and 2008 was a big for doping scandals.
In January, Vania Rossi tested positive for the same drug, and Ricco attempted to distance himself from another scandal by ending their relationship while she was waiting for the result of the B-sample. The B-sample came back clean and action was not taken
against her.
Meanwhile, Team Vacansoleil has submitted an application to receive a ProTour license for the 2011 season, and had signed Ricco and Vuelta a Espana runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera to strengthen their sporting requirement. It was revealed Thursday that Mosquera
tested positive during the Vuelta and will likely be dealt a two-year suspension, a punishment Ricco may also be facing. The scandals have all-but put Vacansoleil out of contention for the ProTour bid.
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