Savio threatens to sue Appollonio, Taborre if doping positives confirmed

Androni Giocattoli general manager Gianni Savio reacted angrily to the UCI's announcement of Fabio Taborre's adverse analytical finding for a developmental blood booster FG-4592, threatening to sue both Taborre and Davide Appollonio, who tested positive for EPO, for damaging the reputation of the team.

The Italian also agreed under MPCC rules to suspend the team. MPCC teams agree to suspend themselves for one week after a second doping case in a 12 month period. 

The UCI stated today it would apply a new regulation which allows for a 15-45 day suspension, to be decided by the Disciplinary Commission.

"If the counter-analysis confirm the positivity, another stupid criminal has committed a crime that seriously damages our team," Savio said in a statement.

"Subject to confirmation of the positivity by the counter-analysis, we will sue Davide Appollonio and Fabio Taborre as provided for by the sanitary regulations of the team undersigned by all the riders in front of Notary Marco Marvasio."

The riders agreed under MPCC rules to be subject to such legal action for anti-doping rule violations, and also agreed to pay a €100,000 fine if they are suspended for doping when signing their contracts for this season.

"We have struggled against doping with all our strengths and zero tolerance. We have held seminars for the riders with Attorney Giuseppe Napoleone and fixed a high penalty. We thought that would be a sufficient deterrent but unluckily the reality seems to be different," Savio said.

The Androni team has had several previous doping cases in its history: In 2009, Francesco De Bonis was positive for CERA, in 2010, Massimo Giunti tested positive for EPO, in 2013 Francesco Reda missed doping controls and later, after he left the team, tested positive for EPO, and in 2014 Patrick Facchini was found positive for a banned stimulant tuaminoheptane.

Savio insisted that the back-to-back doping cases within his team were not the result of any sort of pressure from the team.

"We have done everything possible and we have never put our riders under pressure, we have simply required commitment, reliability and loyalty. We are deeply disheartened but we will not stop fighting," Savio said.