Sunday's Giro di Romagna was a convening of sorts for three infamous riders returning from doping suspensions. Riccardo Ricco debuted in Vacansoleil colors for the first time, Stefan Schumacher returned to racing for the first time since 2008, and Patrik Sinkewitz took his first win since signing for ISD-Neri for the 2010 season.
The 29 year old Sinkewitz returned to racing following a one year suspension in 2009 with PSK-Whirlpool after testing positive for testosterone in the 2007 Tour de France. The German talent later admitted to taking EPO and blood transfusions and received a lenient one year suspension. 2009 was a solid one for Sinkewitz, and as his Czech PSK-Whirlpool team crumbled, he found new life and a chance to move a little closer to a return to the ProTour ranks in 2010 with ISD-Neri. Sinkewitz has had a reasonable season so far, but his win at Romagna this weekend was a huge success, which caps a slow rise to top form through August, where he managed 4th overall at the Volta a Portugal and 6th at the Trofeo Melinda.
Sinkewitz escaped with Domenico Pozzovivo 178 kilometers into the 211 kilometer race. Sinkewitz describes the 33 kilometer escape on his website, "Our gap reached a maximum of two minutes. In the final kilometer, the field came within 58 seconds of us, but I was able get away to a two second gap to take the win on the day [over Pozzovivo]. My teammate, Visconti, won the sprint out of the field. With third, he rounded out a successful race for our team."
Up next for the rider slowly making his way back up to the top of the sport will be the Tour of Britain: "On Thursday, we're going to the Tour of Britain, but today, I'm extremely happy about my first win of this year."
In victory, Sinkewitz takes the opportunity to make the announcement that he will remain with ISD in 2011.
"I will also continue to ride for the great team of Angelo Citracca in 2011."
Meanwhile, another German doping sinner, Stefan Schumacher, toed the start line as well. For Schumacher, it was his first race since 2008. The rider, also 29 years of age, made his return to professional cycling at the Giro di Romagna with the modest Italian outfit, Miche.
Speaking with Radsportnews.com, Schumacher described his first race back. "I rode at my body's limits today. I was with the 30-strong lead group all the way until the last climb of the day, but then I started to cramp horribly. I'm not going to get down though. Every beginning is difficult."
Another one of the CERA-EPO riders from the 2008 Tour de France, Riccardo Ricco, made his debut in Vacansoleil colors on Sunday. The infamous Italian made the move from Flaminia to Vacansoleil recently and managed a reasonable 25th place finish only to find out soon after that his team will not be getting invites to the crucial Italian fall classics, namely the one he has previously finished 2nd in, the Giro di Lombardia.
There's no getting around it - Romagna, more than any other race of late, highlighted the wave of returns from troubled years that still aren't too far removed. We can only watch and hope that the trio of returning talents will cut a cleaner swath this time around.