First Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, May 4, 2010

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May 4, 2010, 03:00

• Freire to lead Rabobank in Giro d'Italia debut

  

  Article published:

  May 3, 2010, 13:17

  By:

  Susan Westemeyer

  Team looking for early success in the Netherlands

  Oscar Freire will ride the Giro d'Italia for the first time in his career this year as the Dutch ProTour team looks for success in the sprints, particularly during the early stages of the race that will be held in the Netherlands. 

  Freire, 34, will look to add a Giro stage win to his long list of Grand Tour victories. He has won seven stages at the Vuelta a Espana, four stages in the Tour de France and so could join the exclusive club of riders who have won stages in all three Grand Tours. He has four wins so far this season, including his third success in Milan-San Remo.

  However the three-time World Champion will face some stiff competition at the Giro. HTC-Columbia is sending sprinter Andre Greipel, who has already racked up 11 wins this season. The German has ridden the Giro only once before, in 2008, winning one stage while helping set-up sprints for teammate Mark Cavendish. Alessandro Petacchi also has to be an overwhelming favourite for the Giro sprints based on past performance. The Lampre-Farnese Vini rider has won 21 Giro stages and one points jersey during his career. Freire will also face Garmin-Transitions sprinter Tyler Farrar who has a strengthened lead out train this year after being shut out by Cavendish last year in the Giro. Freire will have Graeme Brown to help him in the sprints, with the Australian giving Rabobank an alternative option in the sprints if Freire is not at his best. 

  This year's Giro includes five high-mountain stages and Rabobank will look to Columbian Mauricio Ardila and Dutch rider Bauke Mollema on the climbs. Mollema is making his Grand Tour debut. Despite winning the 2009 Giro d'Italia, Denis Menchov is skipping the race this year in order to concentrate on the Tour de France.

  Russia's Dmitriy Kozontchuk and Dutch riders Jos van Emden, Rick Flens, Koos Moerenhout and Peter Weening round out the Dutch squad.

• Valverde tops UCI world rankings

  

  Article published:

  May 3, 2010, 14:55

  By:

  Cycling News

  Caisse d'Epargne, Spain also continue on top

  Alejandro Valverde has moved atop the World Classification of the International Cycling Union (UCI). The controversial Caisse d'Epargne rider used his overall victory in the Tour de Romandie to claim the lead in the world rankings.

  Valverde has 392 points, which moved him up from second place. Former leader Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) dropped to second place. There were no other changes in the top ten.

  Valverde called the ranking “an honour and a dream for any rider.” He said that he had been winning points since the Tour Down Under in Australia, “and to become the new number one before the major tours begin shows how regular I have been all through the first four months of the season.

  “Moreover my team is leading the teams classification and that is also very important. I am surrounded with very good riders and I can rely on the team at any moment in any race.”

  Valverde has been banned from riding in Italy for two years, and faces a possible worldwide ban by the UCI. That decision is pending a further ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is expected momentarily.

  The biggest leaps up the rankings were Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) from 46th to 17th, and Lampre's Simon Spilak entering the rankings at 23rd.

  Thanks to the success of Valverde and Luis Leon Sanchez, Caisse d'Epargne still leads the UCI World Ranking for teams. The Spanish squad has a total of 620 points, 120 more than second placed Katusha, who has 500 points. The Astana team is third with 434 points thank to the success of team leaders Alberto Contador and Alexandre Vinokourov. HTC - Columbia moved up from eighth to fifth place.

  Valverde's ranking also helped Spain stay as the number one nation. Belgium, Australia, Italy and the United States rounded out the top five with no changes this week.

  The world rankings are usually published Monday afternoons, but the next one will not appear until May 31, after the Giro d'Italia.

  UCI World Rankings - Individuals

  1	Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	392	pts
  2	Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto	294
  3	Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha	268
  4	Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team	246
  5	Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	222
  6	Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step	216
  7	Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank	200
  8	Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana	161
  9	Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack	144
  10	Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam	120
  11	André Greipel (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia	119
  12	Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana	117
  13	Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank	112
  14	Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo	110
  15	Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone	109
  16	Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions	103
  17	Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia	103
  18	Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana	100
  19	Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	100
  20	Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	100
  21	Xavier Tondo Volpini (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam	92
  22	Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam	90
  23	Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini	88
  24	Michele Scarponi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli	86
  25	Greg Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team	85
  26	Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	85
  27	Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC - Columbia	83
  28	Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha	82
  29	George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team	80
  30	Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini	78
  31	Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	78
  32	Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank	72
  33	Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	72
  34	Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team	71
  35	Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha	68
  36	Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team HTC - Columbia	66
  37	Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank	63
  38	Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox	62
  39	Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator	60
  40	Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto	60
  41	Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo	58
  42	Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions	57
  43	Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale	57
  44	Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana	56
  45	Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram	54
  46	Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini	52
  47	Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha	52
  48	Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank	52
  49	Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack	50
  50	Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	46
  51	Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto	44
  52	Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet	40
  53	Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo	36
  54	Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin - Transitions	34
  55	Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux	32
  56	Tiago Machado (Por) Team Radioshack	31
  57	Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo	30
  58	Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha	30
  59	Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha	30
  60	Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli	30
  61	Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago - CSF Inox	30
  62	Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank	24
  63	Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo	21
  64	Leif Hoste (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto	20
  65	Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini	16
  66	Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini	14
  67	Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Transitions	13
  68	Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank	12
  69	Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia	12
  70	Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank	11
  71	Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	10
  72	Marcel Wyss (Swi) Cervélo TestTeam	10
  73	Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini	10
  74	Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	10
  75	William Bonnet (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom	10
  76	Paul Voss (Ger) Team Milram	8
  77	Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone	7
  78	Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por) Footon-Servetto	7
  79	Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	7
  80	Karsten Kroon (Ned) BMC Racing Team	6
  81	Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank	6
  82	Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram	6
  83	Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	6
  84	Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack	6
  85	Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team	6
  86	Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank	6
  87	Davide Malacarne (Ita) Quick Step	6
  88	Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha	6
  89	Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack	6
  90	Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team	6
  91	Thomas Voeckler (Fra) BBox Bouygues Telecom	5
  92	Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française Des Jeux	5
  93	Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini	5
  94	Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank	5
  95	Gert Steegmans (Bel) Team Radioshack	5
  96	Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) Française Des Jeux	4
  97	Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step	4
  98	Hayden Roulston (NZl) Team HTC - Columbia	4
  99	Markus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram	4
  100	Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun	4
  101	Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank	4
  102	Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	4
  103	Robert Förster (Ger) Team Milram	4
  104	Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini	4
  105	Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi	3
  106	Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux	2
  107	Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française Des Jeux	2
  108	Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli	2
  109	Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia	2
  110	David Loosli (Swi) Lampre-Farnese Vini	2
  111	Peter Velits (Svk) Team HTC - Columbia	2
  112	Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank	2
  113	Jérémie Galland (Fra) Saur - Sojasun	2
  114	Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale	1
  115	Fabio Felline (Ita) Footon-Servetto	1
  116	Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha	1
  117	Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia	1
  118	Michael Albasini (Swi) Team HTC - Columbia	1
  119	Dominik Nerz (Ger) Team Milram	1
  120	Mauro Finetto (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo	1
  121	Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française Des Jeux	1
  122	Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Française Des Jeux	1
  123	Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team	1
  124	Rick Flens (Ned) Rabobank	1
  125	Davide Vigano (Ita) Sky Professional Cycling Team	1
  126	Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne	1
  127	Jan Bakelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto	1
  128	Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Caisse d'Epargne	1

  UCI World Rankings - Teams

  1	Caisse d'Epargne	620	pts
  2	Team Katusha	500
  3	Astana	434
  4	Omega Pharma-Lotto	419
  5	Team HTC - Columbia	383
  6	Team Saxo Bank	334
  7	BMC Racing Team	333
  8	Cervélo TestTeam	312
  9	Rabobank	258
  10	Liquigas-Doimo	255
  11	Lampre-Farnese Vini	248
  12	Euskaltel - Euskadi	238
  13	Team Radioshack	237
  14	Quick Step	226
  15	Garmin - Transitions	207
  16	Sky Professional Cycling Team	169
  17	Androni Giocattoli	118
  18	Acqua & Sapone	116
  19	Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne	113
  20	Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team	110
  21	Colnago - CSF Inox	93
  22	Team Milram	76
  23	AG2R La Mondiale	68
  24	Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator	60
  25	Française Des Jeux	45
  26	Landbouwkrediet	40
  27	BBox Bouygues Telecom	15
  28	Footon-Servetto	8
  29	Saur - Sojasun	6

  UCI World Rankings - Nations

  1	Spain	1155	pts
  2	Belgium	714
  3	Australia	477
  4	Italy	401
  5	United States	287
  6	Russia	242
  7	Kazakhstan	217
  8	Switzerland	214
  9	Germany	199
  10	Slovenia	142
  11	Norway	126
  12	France	119
  13	Czech Republic	110
  14	Netherlands	110
  15	Canada	103
  16	Great Britain	102
  17	Estonia	100
  18	New Zealand	89
  19	Austria	83
  20	Luxembourg	70
  21	Ireland	57
  22	Slovakia	38
  23	Portugal	38
  24	South Africa	13
  25	Argentina	13
  26	Denmark	12
  27	Belarus	1
  28	Colombia	1

• Simoni named for Lampre Giro roster

  

  Article published:

  May 3, 2010, 15:15

  By:

  Cycling News

  Last hurrah for two-time Grand Tour champion

  Lampre-Farnese Vini team management today confirmed today that Gilberto Simoni will be competing in the upcoming Giro d'Italia for their squad.

  The winner of the 2001 and 2003 editions of the Italian tour had announced in April that he would end his career in his home Tour with the Lampre team, but then shed doubt on that decision a week later after failing to find good form in the Giro del Trentino.

  Simoni will be reuinted with his former teammate and rival Damiano Cunego as well as sprinter Alessandro Petacchi, Danilo Hondo, Matteo Bono, David Loosli, Marco Marzano, Daniele Righi and Alessandro Spezialetti.

  At 38, Simoni will be the oldest rider on the team and one of the most experienced Giro riders in the peloton, having competed in 13 editions of the race.

  In 2004, Simoni was aiming for his third win in the Giro when his younger then-Saeco teammate Cunego emerged as the stronger rider and he claimed the overall victory. The inter-squad rivalry was the subject of intense press scrutiny, although the two remained together when the team was re-named when Lampre came on board in 2005.

  The two went into the 2005 Giro as co-leaders, but Cunego faded from contention and was later diagnosed with mononucleosis. Simoni placed second overall to fellow Italian Paolo Savoldelli.

  In 2006, Simoni was third behind Ivan Basso and Jose Enrique Gutierrez. He did not make the podium the following year, but enjoyed a win on the Monte Zoncolan on stage 17 over teammate Leonardo Piepoli and went on to place fourth overall.

• Quick Step, Footon-Servetto and Androni announce Giro squads

  

  Article published:

  May 3, 2010, 18:27

  By:

  Cycling News

  Katusha adds Karpets to its line-up

  Italians will lead the Quick Step, Footon Servetto and Androni Giocattoli squads in the Giro d'Italia, with Matteo Tosatto, Eros Capecchi, and Michele Scarponi heading up their respective teams. Team Katusha announced a change n its line-up, adding Vladimir Karpets.

  Quick Step's team is made up of five nationalities, with only one Belgian, sprinter Wouter Weylandt. Tosatto won a mountain stage in the Giro in 2001. Two further veterans will be Marco Velo, in his 12th Giro, and Addy Engels, in his eighth Giro, more than any other Dutch rider.

  They will be supported by Dario Cataldo, Mauro Facci, Francesco Reda, Jerome Pineau, and Branislau Samoilau.

  “Our team is a mix of veteran athletes and young athletes hungry to prove their worth,” said Directeur Sportif Davide Bramati. “In the stages dedicated to sprinters, the guys will race n support of Wouter Weylandt. In the other stages we will try to attack. The goal of the team is to make the most out of timely opportunities and to try to win a stage.”

  Androni Giocattoli will be led by Michele Scarponi, who won two stages in last year's Giro. The Italian team's squad will feature three South Americans: Colombian Jose Serpa and Venezuelans Carlos Ochoa and Jackson Rodriguez.

  Francesco Ginanni was forced off the squad because he is suffering from severe allergies. The rest of the squad consists of Leonardo Bertagnoli, Alessandro Bertolini, Alberto Loddo, Rubens Bertogliati and Cameron Wurf.

  Footon-Servetto is going with a very young team, which averages only 25 years old. Giampolo Cheula is the eldest at 30, with Austrian Matthias Brändle only 20. Directeur Sportif Stefano Zanini is looking to another youngster, 23-year-old Capecchi, who, he said, “can perform at a high level. In Romandie he showed that he is good condition and we believe and hope that this is the time to offer more and show what he can actually do.”

  The team will look to Austrians Brändle and Markus Eibegger in the mountains, with Michele Merlo going for the sprints.

  They will be supported by Ermano Capelli, Marco Corti, Iban Mayoz and Martin Pedersen.

  Team Katusha announced a change to its line-up, with young Italian Marco Bandiera making way for Vladimir Karpets. The Russian asked the team to let him ride in light of his strong performance at the Tour de Romandie, where he placed fifth overall.

• UCI names riders snared by Biological Passport

  

  Article published:

  May 3, 2010, 18:50

  By:

  Cycling News

  Pellizotti, Prado and Valjavec facing disciplinary action

  The UCI has confirmed it has requested disciplinary proceedings to be opened against Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas-Doimo), Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucia-Cajasur) and Tadej Valjavec (Ag2r-La Mondiale) for apparent violation of the Anti-Doping Rules on the basis of the information provided by the blood profiles in their biological passports.

  Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport first named Pellizotti mid-day on Monday but the news was only confirmed much later when the President of the Italian Cycling Federation Renato di Rocco named Pellizotti and then the UCI finally issued a statement.

  The Liquigas-Doimo team refused to comment on the media reports but confirmed it would issue a statement on Tuesday. Pellizotti is expected to be replaced in the Liquigas-Doimo team for the Giro d'Italia by Vincenzo Nibali.

  32-year-old Pellizotti finished second in the 2009 Giro d'Italia and was set to be joint leader of the Liquigas-Doimo team with Ivan Basso. On Saturday he finished third in the GP Larciano race in Tuscany, showing some first signs of form after a low-key early season. Last week Pellizotti joined Cadel Evans (BMC) and several other riders on a training ride on the course of the Plan des Corones mountain time trial stage of the Giro d'Italia. He won the Plan des Corones stage in the 2008 Giro d'Italia.

  Valjavec has been a professional since 2000 and rode for Fassa Bortolo, Phonak and Lampre before joining Ag2r in 2008. He has won only a handful of races during his career but finished in the top 20 at the Tour de France in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Last year he finished ninth overall in the Giro d'Italia and led the Tour de Suisse for five days before losing the lead to eventual winner Fabian Cancellara.

  28-year-old Jesus Rosendo Prado has been a member of the Andalucia-Cajasur squad since 2007. He is the second rider from the team to fall afoul of the UCI's anti-doping rules in a week. Teammate Manuel Vasquez Hueso was provisionally suspended for EPO last week.

  According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Pellizotti was informed by the UCI that he was under investigation two months ago after an unusual blood value was detected at a test taken just before the 2009 Tour de France. Pellizotti went on to win the climber's polka-dot jersey at the Tour de France. Last year both Pellizotti and Nibali were accused of working with Italian doctor Michele Ferrari by Amore e Vita team owner Ivano Fanini. Both riders denied the link and threatened legal action.

  UCI president Pat McQuaid revealed to Bloomberg in late February that a handful of riders had been asked to explain their blood values to the independent expert panel that examines the biological passport readings. "We see no other reason other than a possible potential doping reason," said McQuaid at the time.

• Ag2r team manager furious with Valjavec

  

  Article published:

  May 3, 2010, 19:23

  By:

  Cycling News

  Slovenian named by UCI for biological passport irregularities

  Vincent Lavenu, the team manager of Ag2r-La Mondiale, was furious when he heard the news about Tadej Valjavec being one of the riders identified by the International Cycling Union (UCI) for having irregular blood profiles in his the biological passport. Lavenu announced that the Slovenian will be fired as soon as his national federation will sanction him.

  "I got to know about it at the same time as the media," Lavenu said. "I'll face the situation because in our team we strongly believe in the biological passport and we finance it - like the other teams who are part of this program. We'll respect the rules.

  "Valjavec will not take part in the Giro d'Italia. He's temporarily suspended as a precaution until the sanction is pronounced by the Slovenian cycling federation. After that, he'll be fired."

  Valjavec, 33, joined Ag2r-La Mondiale in 2008 after transferring from Lampre. He never won a race for the French team but finished the 2008 Tour de France in ninth overall and the 2009 Giro d'Italia in eighth place.

  "He wasn't a captain in our team but a senior rider who delivered regular results in big races," Lavenu said. "It's painful. I hope this won't harm the team. We never know the potential consequences of such an affair. I'll ask my riders to not give up because this is not what our team is about."

• Procycling's exclusive Giro d'Italia stage analysis

  

  Article published:

  May 3, 2010, 20:06

  By:

  Cycling News

  Input from top pro riders on the 93rd Italian Tour

  From the flat, technical terrain of bike-crazy Amsterdam to the soaring peaks of the Zoncolan, Mortirola and Gavia - this year's Giro d'Italia could prove to be the most difficult edition to date.

  The strade bianche and an unpaved ascent to the Plan de Corones only add to the insanity which will whip the tifosi into a frenzy cheering for their favourites.

  The Giro d'Italia will also pay tribute to the sport's fallen heroes: Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil and Marco Pantani with iconic stages as well as pass through the town of L'Aquila which was devastated by an earthquake in 2009.

  "Stage 11 will be a very long and emotional day, as we visit some of the areas devastated by the earthquake last April," Filippo Pozzato says in the stage preview. "The course itself is very hard and lends itself to breaks and also attacks on an uphill finish in L'Aquila. There won't be big gaps between the very top riders, but someone between fifth and tenth place on GC could make a big move."

  Want to get more insights into the stages of the 93rd Giro d'Italia? You can start with stage one and scroll through the entire race, view the course maps and profiles and get exclusive insights from race director Angelo Zomegnan, Pozzato, Marco Pinotti and Michele Scarponi and analysis courtesy of Procycling magazine.

• McQuaid on Pellizotti, Prado and Valjavec cases

  

  Article published:

  May 4, 2010, 09:23

  By:

  Shane Stokes

  UCI President won't deny more cases are imminent

  UCI President Pat McQuaid has neither confirmed nor denied that more riders could be announced as facing disciplinary action following yesterday's declaration that Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas-Doimo), Jesus Rosendo Prado (Andalucia-Cajasur) and Tadej Valjavec (Ag2r-La Mondiale) had all returned abnormal findings through their biological passports.

  Despite rumours that between five and eight riders would be announced as facing disciplinary sanctions, Monday saw just three names emerging as McQuaid told Cyclingnews that he deliberately avoids being drawn into the disciplinary process and is therefore not in a position to know.

  “I don’t know if there are more,” he insisted on Tuesday evening. “I specifically request those in charge of anti-doping not to tell me of these things until they are ready to go. I don’t know anything until the press communiqué is ready.”

  A fourth name was mentioned on Monday but this was later played down. Italian media sources had also claimed that Carlo Scognamiglio (ISD-Neri) was due to incur disciplinary action over his bio passport values.

  Italian Cycling Federation president and vice president of the UCI, Renato Di Rocco, told Italpress that Scognamiglio was in the same situation as Pellizotti, Rosendo Prado and Valjavec. His team angrily denied this on Monday evening, saying that the rider had received no notification of any suspicions or disciplinary proceedings. It said that it would take the necessary legal action to defend the rider and the team.

  McQuaid reacted to the three confirmed cases, saying that the news should have a deterrent effect on other riders. “These are another couple of guys that the UCI thinks have been involved in doping and they have been caught,” he said. “Once again, it is a pity that these [doping cases] are happening, but the riders will eventually learn.”

  BMC Racing Team rider Thomas Frei recently tested positive for EPO and claimed that he would have beaten the test for his microdosing had he drunk enough water after taking the injection. McQuaid however implies that a rider in his situation would only get away with it for so long.

  “There is no guarantee for those who play with the system, even those doing so thinking that they are getting away with microdosing,” he insisted. “They are playing with an area that is far too delicate and they are very foolish to do so.”

  Pellizotti biggest scalp

  While several riders were stopped last year on the basis of suspicious values, the news that Pellizotti was one of those to face disciplinary action this time round is the biggest such case. The 32-year-old Italian won the Plan des Corones stage in the 2008 Giro d'Italia and finished third in last year’s edition, later promoted to second when Danilo di Luca tested positive for CERA.

  He also won the King of the Mountains award at the 2009 Tour de France, and was due to head to this year’s Giro as one of the favourites.

  Cyclingnews suggested that today’s news marked a step forward for biological passport, in that a big fish had finally been caught for their passport values alone. Four riders nabbed last year - Pietro Caucchioli, Ricardo Serrano, Igor Astarloa and Rubén Lobato - were simply not at the same level, even if Astarloa was a former world champion.

  McQuaid denied that it was the first major case, though, explaining that Thomas Dekker’s situation last year saw a big name go down. While Dekker actually tested positive for EPO, McQuaid said he was facing a ban anyway. “That case just pre-empted what was going to happen very soon afterwards, had he not failed that test,” he said.

  A number of professional riders welcomed the disciplinary proceedings via Twitter. “Good to see the biological passport at work!” said Team Sky’s Simon Gerrans. Teammate Greg Henderson was equally approving, saying, “Off you trot Pellizotti. Keep em coming UCI”.