Appollonio faces €100,000 fine if EPO positive is confirmed

Italian Davide Appollonio will face more than just a possible four-year suspension should the results of his anti-doping control B-sample confirm the EPO positive announced yesterday. He could be slapped with a €100,000 fine from his Androni-Sidermec team and possibly additional damages under the conditions of a zero-tolerance policy the riders signed before the 2015 season.

The UCI placed Appollonio under a provisional suspension after testing of his June 14 out-of-competition sample showed evidence of EPO use. The Androni team issued a statement today confirming it would uphold the terms of the anti-dopign policy, in addition to terminating Appollonio's contract, should the anti-doping rule violation be levelled.

"We have never put our riders under pressure," team manager Gianni Savio stated. "We have just required commitment, reliability and loyalty. We have always applied zero tolerance to doping and said we would be intransigent. Personally, I think that those who nowadays take doping are stupid criminals since doping is a crime."

Appollonio has little legal wiggle room to get around the agreement which all of the team's riders signed in front of a notary in Viareggio last December.