The Italian anti-doping authority has banned three riders – two in their 50s and the other also an ‘age grouper’ – for three years and eight years after adverse doping test results for EPO in recent months (Photo: Longfin Media)
Three Italian riders – aged in their 50s and 30s – have been banned from competition for periods of three years and eight years after being caught using blood booster EPO.
One of the riders, Gianbernardino Velotti (34), has banned for the much longer period, of eight years, as he was previously banned – for refusing to undergo testing. Indeed, his use of EPO was detected in a sample in September having returned to racing a matter of days after his first ban had expired.
After that first ban had run its course, and he returned to competition, he won the Italian Medio Fondo Championship in September in the Masters 30-34 age group – becoming the Italian Gran Fondo ‘middle distance’ champion.
However, after winning the national title at Granfondo La Medievale event on September 28th – which doubled as the national championships – he returned an adverse doping test result for EPO. He had been cleared to return to competition on September 12th after his previous three-year ban expired.
Filippo Noto (55) also been banned for three years by the Italian anti doping agency – NADO Italia – also for EPO use. From Sicily, he had won had finished 3rd in the Granfondo della Ceramica and 4th in the Italian Gran Fondo Championships.
Antonio Caliendo (51) has also been banned for three years by the Italian anti doping agency after returning a positive result for EPO back in July.
An off-road rider, he has won the Masters 50 category in a series of races, including MTB Campania Championship, XC del Vesuvio, XC del Massic and Gran Fondo dei Monti Picentini.