{"id":407539,"date":"2026-02-04T14:56:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/407539\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T14:56:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:56:09","slug":"disgraced-former-worldtour-pro-arrested-and-charged-after-counterfeit-cash-bust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/407539\/","title":{"rendered":"Disgraced former WorldTour pro arrested and charged after counterfeit cash bust"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former WorldTour pro Andrea Piccolo, sacked by EF Education-EasyPost<\/a> on dope-trafficking allegations, has been arrested in Italy after being found in possession of counterfeit cash.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old Italian was stopped while driving a Porsche Macan at the Piazza Municipio in Naples, accompanied by two other men, according to Italian media.<\/p>\n

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The Carabinieri who carried out the stop noticed a piece of paper protruding from under the steering<\/a> wheel which, upon investigation, revealed \u20ac2,000 in counterfeit \u20ac20 notes. A telescopic truncheon was also found in the car, according to the report in NapoliToday.it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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All three men are now in custody and awaiting trial, charged with the unlawful possession of offensive objects.<\/p>\n

Piccolo graduated to EF Education-EasyPost<\/a> from the Italian Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli ProContinental team during the 2022 season. However, he lasted less than two years there before being suspended without pay for taking a non-team-approved sleeping aid in March 2024.<\/p>\n

Three months later, following a border stop by Italian authorities in conjunction with the International Testing Agency, Piccolo was dismissed by the team with immediate effect<\/a> under suspicion of transporting growth hormone. He ultimately admitted to transporting four undisclosed substances from Colombia in a text to Jonathan Vaughters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After his cycling career ended, the Italian opened up an OnlyFans page, promising ‘a personal uncensored insight into the life of a professional cyclist’, including ‘training, food, sleep, repeat’ and of course, it being OnlyFans, more besides.<\/p>\n

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In terms of his actual racing career, Piccolo showed early promise, winning national and European time trial titles as a junior rider and, having turned senior, soon found himself at the Astana team in 2021.<\/p>\n

Having been sidelined there because of a health issue, he moved to Gazprom-Rusvelo where he netted a string of impressive results, including 11th at Il Lombardia <\/a>and 10th in the Bretagne Classic-Ouest France, both WorldTour-ranked races. However, he posted few standout results after joining EF Education, the exception, perhaps, being a fourth place on stage six of the 2024 Giro d’Italia<\/a>, in what was the last event he rode. His career ended unremarkably \u2013 a DNF on the mountainous stage 19 to Sappada of that same race.<\/p>\n

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