Italian team suspended for 30 days after its riders Fabio Taborre and Davide Appollonio failed anti-doping tests in June
The Italian Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec team will not take part in this Sunday’s Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic after being suspended from competition by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) as a consequence of two of its riders violating anti-doping rules.
The UCI’s Disciplinary Commission made the decision to suspend the team for 30 days from Saturday, August 1, after a second member of the squad failed an anti-doping test. It means the team will not now take part in the one-day RideLondon-Surrey Classic on Sunday, August 2.
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On Monday, the UCI announced that Italian rider Fabio Taborre of the team had failed a test on June 16 for banned substance FG-4592, which stimulates EPO production. This came only weeks after the organisation released a statement confirming that sprinter Davide Appollonio failed a test for EPO on June 14.
Under new anti-doping rules introduced from January 1 2015, ‘two potential anti-doping rule violations within the same team within a 12 month period’ will trigger a suspension.
Professional Continental-level Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec will be free to return to competition after August 30, but can appeal the UCI’s decision to suspend them.