Andrea Piccolo's EF contract terminated, HGH/Sleeping pills

[Nick2413]

The sleeping pill thing is just something they had in their back pocket in case something like this happened. They knew he was a risk so covered their bases.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Er, the rider himself.....You and others are looking for things that aren't there.......

To be fair I think he was being rhetorical, lamenting the stupidity of the rider trying to import steroids when they are easily obtainable, rather than insinuating anything further.

Apparently he was stopped at the airport in Italy from Colombia;

EF fires Andrea Piccolo after rider reportedly caught with HGH

EF Education-Easypost terminated the Italian's contract with immediate effect after he was reportedly stopped at an airport and found with the banned substance.

escapecollective.com

Jonathan I speak to you sincerely because I have already lost everything and I am aware of this… I have taken four medications from Colombia that I do not want to name, I want to take my responsibility for this… They found them and confiscated them at the airport

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

HGH possibly more benign than anything customs officials probably expected on a flight from Colombia.

 

[solo80k]

It's so naive. Poor Piccolo thought HGH can give him a chance against Super Saiyans like Pog or Jonas. 😜

 

[awavey]

Additionally to the whatever the contract says, "suspicion of X" just means the authorities found something but the rider is denying any knowledge of how X got into his luggage, for example. Especially since this just happened yesterday, it's not logically correct to conclude Piccolo or someone he knows was trying to bring HGH from Colombia -- even though we all know that is precisely what occurred -- hence the "suspicion".

it sounds like legalese possibly pending a court case to decide, so "innocent till proven guilty" applies meaning its termed "suspicion of" even though its probably quite clearly very obvious it did happen

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I hope he‘ll use this experience and grow as a person.

 

[hrotha]

I hope he‘ll use this experience and grow as a person.

He'll come back as Andrea Grande

 

[Mayomaniac]

Only way he gets out of this is if his Colombian GF takes the blame and says it was her HGH, to help her stay in shape in the gym.

 

[rallybanana]

He must have a brass neck if he thought he could get away with it.

 

[Netserk]

I hope he‘ll use this experience and grow as a person.

I thought that was why he needed the HGH?

 

[Brullnux]

Only way he gets out of this is if his Colombian GF takes the blame and says it was her HGH, to help her stay in shape in the gym.

I thought this too but it's so unlikely that prosecutors accept it. WADA love a bizarre excuse, but I think italian police/prosecutors get a bit of a hard-on when they get the chance to arrest someone semi famous.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I thought this too but it's so unlikely that prosecutors accept it. WADA love a bizarre excuse, but I think italian police/prosecutors get a bit of a hard-on when they get the chance to arrest someone semi famous.

Ah yes, Italian prosecutors, most of them are glory hogs.
Still, if she confesses (while he pays her fine) he'll probably get away in the end.

 

[Mayomaniac]

He must have a brass neck if he thought he could get away with it.

His problem isn't his neck, but what he has on top of it...

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

So not a random customs stop, but targetted by International Testing Agency and the Italian NADO, getting the customs to do their dirty work for them:

UCI statement concerning Andrea Piccolo

www.uci.org

 

[Tim Cahill]

Only way he gets out of this is if his Colombian GF takes the blame and says it was her HGH, to help her stay in shape in the gym.

We are all hoping that the Onlyfans girlfriend comes into play at some point, just because it would be a phenomenal addition to the best doping excuses thread.

 

[Mayomaniac]

We are all hoping that the Onlyfans girlfriend comes into play at some point, just because it would be a phenomenal addition to the best doping excuses thread.

If he gets out of it because of his onlyfans/porn gf it would be hillarious. Cipo wishes he was that cool and not just a women beating pos.

 

[Brullnux]

If he gets out of it because of his onlyfans/porn gf it would be hillarious. Cipo wishes he was that cool and not just a women beating pos.

I support women's rights so I support women's wrongs (taking the fall for your boyfriend importing HGH in his suitcase)

 

[Brullnux]

Joking aside, it was targeted by the italian testing agency, not just a random Carabinieri customs check. I don't know if they were tipped off or his results had been a bit dodgy or smth, but I can't see him getting out of it.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Joking aside, it was targeted by the italian testing agency, not just a random Carabinieri customs check. I don't know if they were tipped off or his results had been a bit dodgy or smth, but I can't see him getting out of it.

And of course it came out one week before the Tour starts in Italy...

 

[Bolder]

Once again the big story here which no one really talks about is the total ineffectiveness of dope controls/biological passports & all that tralalala which makes the gullible plebs watching on tv think the sport is somehow clean.

If a rider on human growth hormones can get away with it, then what's the point? I mean the usual clichéd defense you'll always read whenever someone drops a watts nuke is "he's never tested positive!". This is said of every whacky impossible performance. But if Piccolo was riding around on HGH & didn't test positive, then the system is well & truly broken.

Aka stick a fork in it.

Well, no one said he was taking HGH. Just trafficking it.

 

[topcat]

We are all hoping that the Onlyfans girlfriend comes into play at some point, just because it would be a phenomenal addition to the best doping excuses thread.

It would definitely be the highlight of the season.

 

[Squire]

So first it was Andrea Innocenti being busted, now it's Andrea Piccolo. These Andreas are all trying to hide behind their cute names ...

 

[Rob5091]

We are all hoping that the Onlyfans girlfriend comes into play at some point, just because it would be a phenomenal addition to the best doping excuses thread.

Two points/questions, first, where I live guys have got off for murder by blaming each other for the crime. If the two of them try that defence then it's word against word and at least he'll not get a hefty fine or jail time (his cycling career we can, I think safely say, is down the toilet at then moment).

Second, is there some Colombian connection that is also being investigated (or is that hoping for too much)?

I'm still going with someone from EF tipping off ITA etc.

 

[Brullnux]

Two points/questions, first, where I live guys have got off for murder by blaming each other for the crime. If the two of them try that defence then it's word against word and at least he'll not get a hefty fine or jail time (his cycling career we can, I think safely say, is down the toilet at then moment).

Yeah, it's not really as easy as that. Cross-examination can be extremely difficult, you have to be quite a skilled talker to get yourself out of it without saying something incriminating. Besides, the fact it was an ongoing investigation suggests there was more to it, and a judge will just ignore Piccolo blaming his gf.

 

[Rackham]

Well, no one said he was taking HGH. Just trafficking it.

I bet Willy Voet was just trafficking Festina's pharmaceutical goodie bag for sh*ts & giggles back in 1998 as well.