Mantova doping investigation

Last updated

The Mantova doping investigation was an investigation for doping in cycling, centered on the Lampre cycling team, named after the Italian town Mariana Mantovana. In total, 32 persons were accused of trafficking, prescription, administration and use of prohibited substances; [1] the trial concluded in 2015, when all involved cyclists were cleared of any wrongdoing or not found guilty, and only one pharmacist and one local rider were found guilty. [2]

Contents

History

In 2010, Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the Italian police were investigating doping cases that involved 54 persons in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. [3] Following that news, Italian cyclists Alessandro Ballan and Mauro Santambrogio, who had left the Lampre team and were riding for BMC Racing Team, were temporarily pulled from racing by their teams because of this investigation. [4]

In April 2011, a list of 32 persons that the prosecution was planning to charge was revealed. [5] After this, Ballan and Santambrogio were again temporarily stopped from racing by their team BMC Racing Team, missing the 2011 Giro d'Italia. [6] The Lampre–ISD team also decided to keep all riders and staff mentioned in the Mantova doping investigation out of the 2011 Giro. [7] In May 2011, La Gazetta Dello Sport published details from the Mantova case, including extracts of phone call transcripts where doping was discussed between riders and staff. [8]

In July 2013, a preliminary court hearing decided that the case should proceed, with a date set for December 2013; [9] it was then also decided that 27 persons, of which 18 riders, would be on trial. [10]

The Italian committee CONI received documents from the prosecutor, and based on that they demanded a two year doping ban for Alessandro Ballan. [11]

Resulting bans

In court

The court case started in December 2013; it was decided that the phone taps were admissible evidence. [13] In 2015, prosecutor dropped several charges, and accepted that there was no evidence to prove a system of organized doping within the Lampre team. The judge decided to clear all involved cyclists from the Lampre team, including Ballan whose suspension was cleared. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alessandro Petacchi</span> Italian road bicycle racer

Alessandro Petacchi is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2015. A specialist sprinter, Petacchi has won 48 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia in 2004, the Vuelta a España in 2005 and the Tour de France in 2010. He also won the classics Milan – San Remo in 2005 and Paris–Tours in 2007. His career spanned over 18 years during which he earned 183 victories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damiano Cunego</span> Italian road bicycle racer

Damiano Cunego is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2018 for the Saeco, Lampre–Merida and Nippo–Vini Fantini–Europa Ovini teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Points classification in the Giro d'Italia</span>

The points classification in the Giro d'Italia is one of the secondary classifications in the Giro d'Italia. It is determined by points awarded for placings in the daily stages, regardless of time gaps. From 1967 to 1969 the leader wore a red jersey but in 1970 it was changed to mauve, and named the maglia ciclamino, the name of the colour in Italian being derived from the alpine flower the cyclamen. The red jersey was re-introduced in 2010, as the maglia rosso passione. However, in April 2017 RCS Sport, the organisers of the Giro, announced that the maglia ciclamino would be revived for the 2017 Giro d'Italia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Pinotti</span> Italian cyclist

Marco Pinotti is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who competed as a professional between 1999 and 2013. An individual time trial specialist, Pinotti was a six-time Italian Time Trial Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filippo Pozzato</span> Italian cyclist

Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2000 and 2018 for the Mapei–Quick-Step, Fassa Bortolo, Quick-Step–Innergetic, Liquigas, Team Katusha, Lampre–Merida, and two spells with the Farnese Vini–Selle Italia/Wilier Triestina–Selle Italia teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniele Bennati</span> Italian road bicycle racer

Daniele Bennati is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2002 and 2019 for the Acqua & Sapone–Cantina Tollo, De Nardi–Colpack, Phonak, Lampre–Fondital, Liquigas–Doimo, RadioShack–Nissan, Tinkoff and Movistar Team squads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alessandro Ballan</span> Italian cyclist

Alessandro Ballan is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for UCI World Tour team BMC Racing Team. He is best known for winning the World Road Race Championships, in 2008. Although he possessed a frame that was usually more associated with climbing, Ballan established himself as a leading spring classics contender. His nickname, Bontempino, is a diminutive reference to Guido Bontempi, to whom he bears a resemblance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Giro d'Italia</span> Cycling race

The 2007 Giro d'Italia was the 90th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place from 12 May to 3 June 2007. The race began in Sardinia and finished in Milan, and featured five mountain top finishes, of which one was an individual time trial. The race also visited France and Austria in three stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Phinney</span> American road racing cyclist

Taylor Carpenter-Phinney is an American retired professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2009 and 2019 for the Trek–Livestrong, BMC Racing Team and EF Education First teams. Phinney specialized in time trials on the road as well as the individual pursuit on the track, winning the world title in the discipline in 2009 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Giro d'Italia</span> Cycling race

The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the Astana cycling team. Second and third respectively were Italians Riccardo Riccò and Marzio Bruseghin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CCC Pro Team</span> Bicycle racing team

CCC Pro Team was a UCI WorldTeam co-owned and managed by American cyclist Jim Ochowicz, who founded the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. After its last title sponsor, CCC, a Polish shoe retailer, pulled out due to financial difficulties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Ochowicz was unable to find another major sponsor, so the team disbanded at the end of the 2020 season. In its place, Belgian UCI ProTeam Circus–Wanty Gobert took over the team's license and was promoted to a UCI WorldTeam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mauro Santambrogio</span> Italian cyclist

Mauro Santambrogio is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist, who last rode for UCI Continental team Amore & Vita–Selle SMP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Giro d'Italia</span> Cycling race

The 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race. Starting in Venice and finishing in Rome, 22 teams competed over 21 stages. Four of the top ten finishers in this edition later had their results voided.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Giro d'Italia</span> Cycling race

The 2010 Giro d'Italia was the 93rd edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The race started off in Amsterdam on 8 May and stayed in the Netherlands for three stages, before leaving the country. The route included climbs such as Monte Zoncolan, Plan de Corones, the Passo del Mortirolo and the Passo di Gavia before ending in Verona with an individual time trial.

The 2010 season for the BMC Racing Team began in January with the Tour Down Under and ended in October at the Giro di Lombardia. As they did in 2009, BMC Racing Team competes in 2010 as a UCI Professional Continental team with wildcard status, meaning they are eligible to be invited to any UCI ProTour event.

The 2011 season for the BMC Racing Team began in January with the Tour Down Under and ended in October at the Giro di Lombardia. As a UCI ProTeam, they were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad to every event in the UCI World Tour.

The 2013 Giro del Trentino was the 37th edition of the Giro del Trentino cycling stage race. It started on 16 April in Lienz (Austria) and ended on 19 April in Sega di Ala. The race, that was officially presented on 8 April in Trento, consisted of four stages, with the first one divided into two half-stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 21</span>

Stage 12 of the 2013 Giro d'Italia was contested on 16 May, and the race concluded on 26 May. The second half of the race was almost entirely situated within Italy; it started with a categorised flat stage from Longarone to Treviso, before four mountain stages – as well as a mountainous individual time trial between Mori and Polsa – en route to the finish in Brescia, where the race concluded with a road stage for the first time since 2007. The race also crossed over into France during the fifteenth stage, ending with a summit finish on the Col du Galibier. After the second rest day of the race, the peloton returned to Italy in the following stage, from Valloire in France to Ivrea.

The 2014 Giro del Trentino is the 38th edition of the Giro del Trentino cycling stage race. It started on 22 April in Riva del Garda and will end on 25 April on the top of Monte Bondone. The race will consist of four stages; it started with a team time trial on the same route of the first stage in the 2012 edition of the race, and will end on Monte Bondone for the queen stage. The race was part of the 2014 UCI Europe Tour, and was rated as a 2.HC event.

References

  1. ↑ "32 named in Mantova investigation to learn if they will go on trial". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Lampre riders and staff cleared in Mantova doping trial". Cyclingnews. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  3. ↑ "New doping investigation in Italy revealed". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Ballan and Santambrogio pulled from racing". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  5. ↑ Andrews, Conal (9 April 2011). "Rasmussen denies Mantova doping involvement, BMC Racing keeps Ballan on roster". Velonation. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Ryan, Barry (10 June 2011). "Ochowicz: "No contradiction" in BMC's handling of Ballan and Santambrogio". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "No Mantova investigation riders in Lampre-ISD Giro d'Italia team". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. 30 April 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  8. ↑ Farrand, Stephen (3 May 2011). "Gazzetta dello Sport publishes evidence from Mantova doping investigation". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  9. ↑ Stokes, Shane (19 July 2013). "Mantova investigation leads to formal charges against Cunego, Ballan, Saronni and others". Velonation. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  10. 1 2 Farrand, Stephen (19 July 2013). "Mantova judges sends 27 to trial for doping charges". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  11. ↑ "Italian prosecutors demand two-year doping ban for Ballan". VeloNews. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  12. ↑ Wynn, Nigel (17 January 2014). "Alessandro Ballan sacked by BMC after doping ban". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Ltd. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Phone taps admissable[sic] as evidence in Lampre trial". Cyclingnews. Future Publishing Limited. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.