Androni Giocattoli will race the Giro d’Italia as Vini Zabù withdraws
In the wake of a second doping positive for a member of the team in a 12-month period, Vini Zabù has withdrawn from the upcoming Giro d’Italia. Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, which had initially missed out on a wildcard bid for the race, will take Vini Zabù’s place in making the start.
Vini Zabù rider Matteo De Bonis was notified in March of an adverse analytical finding for EPO in February, marking the second anti-doping rule violation for the team in less than four months after Matteo Spreafico returned two positive tests for Enobosarm (ostarine) at the Giro d’Italia in October. With two doping positives inside a 12-month period, the team currently faces a suspension of between 15 and 45 days.
While the UCI Disciplinary Commission has yet to hand down an official ruling on what the length of that suspension might be, Vini Zabù decided on Thursday to pull out of the Giro d’Italia.
The RCS then announced that Androni Giocattoli would take the wildcard spot left vacant by Vini Zabù.
Androni Giocattoli manager Gianni Savio had initially criticized the Giro d’Italia organizers’ decision to invite Vini Zabù to the race in February after Spreafico’s doping positive in the prior edition of the race. Now, Androni Giocattoli will be in attendance after all.
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