The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) today announced that Italian Riccardo Ricco has filed an appeal to overturn his 12-year sporting ban.
Ricco was issued the ban in April by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) anti-doping tribunal following a year of investigation into a 2011 incident which landed the Italian in the intensive care unit of a hospital with kidney failure, where he reportedly admitted to self-administering a blood transfusion.
Because Ricco tested positive for EPO during the 2008 Tour de France and was later banned for 20 months, the CONI's decision that his 2011 offense was an anti-doping violation equated to a second offense, and the CONI issued the 12-year ban, effectively ending the 29-year-old's career.
Ricco has now challenged the decision and asked that the CAS annul the suspension.
Scarponi hearing delayed
Michele Scarponi (Lampre) was due to have his hearing in front of the CONI on June 27, but the date has been rescheduled at the rider's request.
Scarponi is due to start the Tour de France in Liège on Saturday.
The Italian was being called in to answer to a Padova-based investigation together with teammate Leonardo Bertagnolli. The pair were suspected of links to banned Italian doctor Michele Ferrari.
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