Topic: Riccardo Ricco

Riccardo Riccò (born 1 September 1983 in Formigine) is a professional road bicycle racer from Italy. Born in Formigine, Emilia-Romagna, Riccò rode on the UCI ProTeam Saunier Duval-Scott. He was ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations.

He joined UCI ProTeam Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2006 after two successful seasons as an amateur rider, during which he won the Settimana Bergamasca. Prior to joining the team he tried to become a professional with Ceramica Panaria - Navigare in 2005 but wasn't allowed because several blood tests revealed his hematocrit levels exceeded those acceptable. Saunier Duval's sportif director, Mauro Gianetti, suggested he spend a week in the UCI laboratory in Lausanne to prove that his blood values were natural. Further exhaustive tests by the UCI confirmed that Riccò´s hematocrit level was naturally over 50%. This has since been questioned however when, on July 17, 2008, it was revealed that Ricco had a non negative test for EPO, the hematocrit boosting drug, following the stage 4 time trial at Cholet. It has since been suggested by fellow pro-rider Jérôme Pineau that Riccò openly doped even as a junior rider.

Riccò's breakthrough came during the 2007 Tirreno-Adriatico, when he won two consecutive stages and the Points Classification. He also won a stage and finished second in Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali. He then finished ninth in Amstel Gold Race and sixth in La Flèche Wallonne in his first ever appearance in the Ardennes Classics. He rode the Giro d'Italia as a domestique of team leader Gilberto Simoni and in the process he took the 15th stage at Tre Cime di Lavaredo ahead of his team-mate Leonardo Piepoli. He would finish sixth overall, seven minutes behind eventual winner Danilo Di Luca. In the season finale Giro di Lombardia, he finished second after losing a two-man sprint against Damiano Cunego.