Italian Cycling Federation boss Renato Di Rocco (l)(Image credit: Sirotti)
Riccardo Riccò with Amore e Vita patron Ivano Fanini(Image credit: Fanini)
Italian Cycling Federation president Renato Di Rocco has announced plans to bar riders who have been suspended for past doping infractions from participating in the national championships.
Di Rocco has proposed an alteration to the federation’s existing rules for access to the championships. According to a statement from the FCI, the new regulation will “prevent the participation of riders sanctioned for doping in all categories and specialities.”
When contacted by Cyclingnews, the FCI confirmed that the statement referred not only to riders who are currently under suspension, but also to those who have served doping bans in the past.
If implemented, the rule would thus prevent a number of top-level Italian riders from participating in the Italian road race championships in Aci Catena, Sicily on June 25. Ivan Basso, Danilo Di Luca, Alessandro Petacchi, Michele Scarponi and Emanuele Sella are among the members of the Italian gruppo who would be excluded from contesting the tricolour jersey, as they have all served suspensions for doping infractions.
Both Riccardo Riccò and Davide Rebellin, currently without contracts, would also be unable to start the race. It was recently reported that Riccò was considering a return to racing with Amore e Vita ahead of the national championships.
It is understood that Di Rocco’s resolution will be ratified at the next meeting of the FCI’s Federal Council.
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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
