Controversial Italian to escape a life ban but punishment will effectively put an end to his career
The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has made a recommendation to the Italian Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) that Riccardo Riccò be handed a suspension of twelve years. The controversial 28-year-old has allegedly admitted self-administering an illegal blood transfusion on or around February 6th this year, which saw him admitted to hospital in an emergency as the blood had reportedly been badly stored. He has since denied his admission – which he also did at the time when it was reported that he had admitted it to hospital staff – but CONI has nevertheless requested the punishment.
“Referral athlete Riccardo Riccò (FCI) to the National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) by CONI for the recognition of responsibility of the breach of Article 2.2 of the WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency – ed] Code,” reads the CONI statement, “on the basis of documents submitted by the public prosecutor of Modena, with a request for disqualification for twelve years because of a second violation of the anti-doping regulations.”
Should Riccò’s offence be confirmed it would be his second doping conviction, after testing positive for CERA, a third-generation EPO, at the 2008 Tour de France. He was handed a two-year ban at the time, which was reduced to twenty months by the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) after he cooperated with anti-doping investigators.
Under WADA regulations a second offence could carry a life-ban, although a twelve-year sentence would make him ineligible for competition until he is 40 years old and effectively end his career.