Giro d'Italia boss laments 'damage already done' by Bardiani doping positives

Bardiani-CSF team allowed to race with seven riders despite positive tests for Nicola Ruffoni and Stefano Pirazzi ahead of opening stage

Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF) after winning stage 17 of the 2014 Giro d'Italia (Photo: Sunada)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

The Giro d'Italia says that although it could still act to punish Bardiani-CSF for the team's anti-doping positives ahead of the race, the damage to its image has already been done.

Nicola Ruffoni and Stefano Pirazzi tested positive for growth hormones GH-Releasing Peptides (GHRPs) on April 25 and 26, respectively. The results were released last night, 12 hours before the 100th edition of the Giro d'Italia pushed off from Alghero, in Sardinia.

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.