Evans and his meeting with Ferrari?

[ScienceIsCool]

"“In the recent past, I had a very strong rider who obtained very good results always in the same period of the season. However, I did not understand how he always obtained those results every year in that same period. I sat down with him and told him, ‘Listen, I think that it is better we stop working together now. I am not interested in continuing.’

“He said, ‘I am clean, I am sure of it.’ He said that but I could not understand how he did what he did. I said, ‘Maybe it is clear for you, but it is not for me. And I prefer to sleep well.’"

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/aldo-sassi-the-philosophy-of-coaching-1349#mpVfbjfmFBJ3hxek.99

All I'm asking is a reference source to a doping scandal or someone outing him as a facilitator of doping or whatnot. Since he's worked with known dopers, yeah we should ask if he's dirty! He might well be. But you also have to realize that a cycling coach will coach cyclists... Not all of them are going to be clean.

John Swanson

 

[sniper]

"baseless accusations" = strawman.

1. I haven't seen (m)any accusations (apart from one poster saying evans doped... God have mercy on that poster's soul). What I have seen is speculation.

2. said speculation is not baseless, but informed by the history of the sport and the particular people (including known dopers) linked to Sassi and Evans.

Quite simples.

 

[Nick C.]

Why is "speculation" not = "accusation"? It seems all very "it depends on what is is".

 

[sniper]

Re:

Why is "speculation" not = "accusation"?

maybe because of the dictionary telling us they are not the same thing?

 

[Irondan]

Let's just have a discussion, without pointing fingers at each other over who's hurling what.

The interview with Sassi that John posted is worth reading, of course it's only Sassi's word but since we have so far produced nothing else, it's a start.

Cheers

 

[ScienceIsCool]

So all you've got on Sassi is that he worked at the Mapei center and had dopers (Basso) and suspected dopers (Evans) that he coached. You do know that Squinzi got fed up with the Mapei team, sacked everyone who was working with Ferrari, and installed Sassi to clean up how the team operates?

"“Until the end of 1996, when I cleared out the Mapei athletes who were prepared by [notorious doctor] Michele Ferrari: [Tomy] Rominger, [Abraham] Olano and [Gianluca] Bortolami, I entrusted the preparation of the athletes and the direction of the research center to Sassi. We all believed that it was possible to not only ride cycling, but to be clean and successful.” http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/6740/Giorgio-Squinzi-remembers-Aldo-Sassi-clean-cycling-and-winning.aspx#ixzz4SpVgnfxk

By all accounts they weren't successful though. Mapei/Quickstep had quite a few dopers. Was Sassi responsible for that? I haven't seen anything to suggest it. If you want to believe Sassi is dirty, have at it. But so far the accusation is baseless. There is no source or reference material (yet) to suggest that Sassi is dirty. Yes, innuendo and guilt by association is baseless. Here's a holiday themed example for you. There was a certain Galilean that hung out with thieves and hookers. Nobody ever claimed he was doing the same things they were.

John Swanson

 

[sniper]

Re:

Let's just have a discussion, without pointing fingers at each other over who's hurling what.

The interview with Sassi that John posted is worth reading, of course it's only Sassi's word but since we have so far produced nothing else, it's a start.

Cheers

You're kidding right?

On the last two pages I posted four replies to your inquiry. In all four of them I provided links both to interviews and to further reading including a previous Clinic thread* and an article about how Bannan and Sassi hooked up.

viewtopic.php?p=2048106#p2048106
viewtopic.php?p=2048134#p2048134
viewtopic.php?p=2048137#p2048137
viewtopic.php?p=2048240#p2048240

*although the thread was just one page long, people put effort in it, so for you to discard that as "nothing" is a bit harsh.

 

[Irondan]

Re: Re:

Let's just have a discussion, without pointing fingers at each other over who's hurling what.

The interview with Sassi that John posted is worth reading, of course it's only Sassi's word but since we have so far produced nothing else, it's a start.

Cheers

You're kidding right?

I posted four replies to your posts. In all four of them I provided links both to interviews and to further reading including (but not limited to) a previous Clinic thread*.

viewtopic.php?p=2048106#p2048106
viewtopic.php?p=2048134#p2048134
viewtopic.php?p=2048137#p2048137
viewtopic.php?p=2048240#p2048240

*although the thread was just one page long, people put effort in it, so for you to discard that as "nothing" is a bit harsh.

You're right sniper, I chose my words wrong. Cheers

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Yeah... Unless someone has a reference source worth discussing, I think I'm going to bow out of this thread. Have fun.

John Swanson

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

That link doesn't really expose anything that I can see other than one poster claiming that Sassi admitted to doping riders when it was supposedly a requirement, and that he was present at Moser's hour record to help administer the blood doping program that Moser was on. No links to back anything up though. I'm going to do a little digging myself to see if I can find any info on these things.

Cheers.
I didn't mean to give the impression that the link "exposes" anything.
You were right that there has been no scandal involving Sassi.

Indeed, there is no substantial evidence against this guy and - IF he dabbled in doping - he's certainly done a good PR job, as he seems to enjoy quite a good reputation also on twitter.

But yes, those bits that you mention, amongst other things, give reason to concerns, at least in my book, maybe not in others'.

Personally I can't read this without raising an eyebrow or two:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sassi-says-he-can-guarantee-his-riders-are-clean/
He says he can guarantee his riders are clean. Does he sleep with them?
He then expands: :

“We create programmes to help the team doctors with their analysis of haemoglobin mass,” Sassi said. “By checking this data against the biological passport, you can see if someone is stepping out of line. It’s not anti-doping but we can obtain suspect data and relay it to the team.”

To me that rather suggests he has zero guarantee that they are clean; but he has guarantee that they won't test positive.
A sophisticated "fly below the radar" program, which wouldn't be all that surprising as it's in line with what we know about (the history of) the Mapei Center.
In fact it's the kind of program you'd expect heavy-earning pros to work with.
There is more in that link, worth a read.

I've read that article three times to make sure that I'm not missing something. As is the norm, CN has titled an article for the sake of dramatic effect without the article's contents supporting it. There isn't any statement in that article where Sassi "guarantees" that his riders are clean. What he says is that it would be "more troubling than his illness" to him if they weren't. Apparently he trusts them and his system of testing enough that they are not doping. He leaves it open to the rare chance that anything is possible (that is my interpretation).

 

[Nick C.]

Re: Re:

Why is "speculation" not = "accusation"?

maybe because of the dictionary telling us they are not the same thing?

Ok fine "when did you stop beating your wife" is the level of intellectual rigor here. carry on.

 

[veganrob]

Re: Re:

Why is "speculation" not = "accusation"?

maybe because of the dictionary telling us they are not the same thing?

Ok fine "when did you stop beating your wife" is the level of intellectual rigor here. carry on.

Wow, that's pretty bizarre answer

 

[Neworld]

Re:

"

“He said, ‘I am clean, I am sure of it.’ He said that but I could not understand how he did what he did. I said, ‘Maybe it is clear for you, but it is not for me. And I prefer to sleep well.’"

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/aldo-sassi-the-philosophy-of-coaching-1349#mpVfbjfmFBJ3hxek.99

All I'm asking is a reference source to a doping scandal or someone outing him as a facilitator of doping or whatnot. Since he's worked with known dopers, yeah we should ask if he's dirty! He might well be. But you also have to realize that a cycling coach will coach cyclists... Not all of them are going to be clean.

John Swanson

Not to be adversarial John, but you seek 'references' and scientific facts to be presented to support commentary, yet you offer up an article about Sassi which is basically Sassi's personal comments on how he is clean blah blah blah. Very Johan B-like hyperbole. Try to present some facts as well please.

As for my initial unfounded, and they are I agree, comments...they were wrt Cadel and the original CN article from earlier this week.

I find it completely disingenuous to believe, even for a second, that at the height of sophisticate doping, on all the doping teams that Cadel was a member, with Tony Rominger as a mentor, Jim Och. as president and manager, while battling with all GC winners, and eventually winning the TdF himself, not to mention all the other fake honourable wins like TdRomandie...that Cadel is anything but a tainted rider.

As for the necessary provision of facts to back it up, there are very few facts available on the internet, in CN Clinic forums or elsewhere to book Mr. Evans. Like most doping, one needs to connect the dots unless someone is so stupid to let themselves get caught.

 

[MarkvW]

Re: Re:

"

“He said, ‘I am clean, I am sure of it.’ He said that but I could not understand how he did what he did. I said, ‘Maybe it is clear for you, but it is not for me. And I prefer to sleep well.’"

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/aldo-sassi-the-philosophy-of-coaching-1349#mpVfbjfmFBJ3hxek.99

All I'm asking is a reference source to a doping scandal or someone outing him as a facilitator of doping or whatnot. Since he's worked with known dopers, yeah we should ask if he's dirty! He might well be. But you also have to realize that a cycling coach will coach cyclists... Not all of them are going to be clean.

John Swanson

Not to be adversarial John, but you seek 'references' and scientific facts to be presented to support commentary, yet you offer up an article about Sassi which is basically Sassi's personal comments on how he is clean blah blah blah. Very Johan B-like hyperbole. Try to present some facts as well please.

As for my initial unfounded, and they are I agree, comments...they were wrt Cadel and the original CN article from earlier this week.

I find it completely disingenuous to believe, even for a second, that at the height of sophisticate doping, on all the doping teams that Cadel was a member, with Tony Rominger as a mentor, Jim Och. as president and manager, while battling with all GC winners, and eventually winning the TdF himself, not to mention all the other fake honourable wins like TdRomandie...that Cadel is anything but a tainted rider.

As for the necessary provision of facts to back it up, there are very few facts available on the internet, in CN Clinic forums or elsewhere to book Mr. Evans. Like most doping, one needs to connect the dots unless someone is so stupid to let themselves get caught.

Not to be too picky, but it can NEVER be disingenuous to believe something.

 

[sniper]

Re: Re:

"

“He said, ‘I am clean, I am sure of it.’ He said that but I could not understand how he did what he did. I said, ‘Maybe it is clear for you, but it is not for me. And I prefer to sleep well.’"

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/aldo-sassi-the-philosophy-of-coaching-1349#mpVfbjfmFBJ3hxek.99

All I'm asking is a reference source to a doping scandal or someone outing him as a facilitator of doping or whatnot. Since he's worked with known dopers, yeah we should ask if he's dirty! He might well be. But you also have to realize that a cycling coach will coach cyclists... Not all of them are going to be clean.

John Swanson

Not to be adversarial John, but you seek 'references' and scientific facts to be presented to support commentary, yet you offer up an article about Sassi which is basically Sassi's personal comments on how he is clean blah blah blah. Very Johan B-like hyperbole. Try to present some facts as well please.

As for my initial unfounded, and they are I agree, comments...they were wrt Cadel and the original CN article from earlier this week.

I find it completely disingenuous to believe, even for a second, that at the height of sophisticate doping, on all the doping teams that Cadel was a member, with Tony Rominger as a mentor, Jim Och. as president and manager, while battling with all GC winners, and eventually winning the TdF himself, not to mention all the other fake honourable wins like TdRomandie...that Cadel is anything but a tainted rider.

As for the necessary provision of facts to back it up, there are very few facts available on the internet, in CN Clinic forums or elsewhere to book Mr. Evans. Like most doping, one needs to connect the dots unless someone is so stupid to let themselves get caught.

Good post. All common sense really.

- You don't present claims of cleanliness from the horses mouth as fact.
- Until evidence to the contrary surfaces, there is no reason to assume there were many clean riders in the peloton in the period in which Cadel was active. And whilst there may have been a couple, how likely are they to have become GT winners? It would be against all odds.

But fair game to John. If you believe Lemond did it on paniagua, it would be a bit hypocritical to claim Cadel couldn't do it on paniagua.

As for those links you provided earlier, I think they still count as some of the most convincing reallife examples of the phenomenon known as roid rage. The way Cadel went from a tender, lean athlete, to a bulky English fullback always seemed suspicious, especially seeing him climb with the best despite that added muscle weight.
Whether that was steroids or HGH, or a combo, we will likely never know. EPO in any case.

Digger (or Vayerims, not sure) had an interesting tweet on Cadel too. Allegedly Cuddles was closer to Ferrari than he alleges to have been.

Someone on Twitter commented Cadel likely pioneered helium doping, judging on his voice.

 

[Neworld]

Re: Re:

"

“He said, ‘I am clean, I am sure of it.’ He said that but I could not understand how he did what he did. I said, ‘Maybe it is clear for you, but it is not for me. And I prefer to sleep well.’"

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/aldo-sassi-the-philosophy-of-coaching-1349#mpVfbjfmFBJ3hxek.99

All I'm asking is a reference source to a doping scandal or someone outing him as a facilitator of doping or whatnot. Since he's worked with known dopers, yeah we should ask if he's dirty! He might well be. But you also have to realize that a cycling coach will coach cyclists... Not all of them are going to be clean.

John Swanson

Not to be too picky, but it can NEVER be disingenuous to believe something.

ok, sure.

How about 'it would be disingenuous to scientifically, using elementary logic and unbiased first principles, exclude Cuddles from the known population of drugged up GC riders.'

As for Sassi, I will dig and hope to find some points as close to fact as I can...other than a few cycling articles where he professes to be clean and avoid atypical cyclists.

 

[sniper]

From Sassi's Mapei Sport Cycling Training website:
http://mct.mapeisport.it/ChiSiamo.asp

I decided to create Mapei Sport Cycling Trainer when my commitments first to training and then managing the MAPEI professional cycling team did not allow me enough time to keep on personally assisting all the keen cyclists interested in training based on my customised training schedules.

So, with the help of all the staff at MAPEI Sport Service, we developed this software project - which we were then able to put on-line in partnership with Lexicon - devised to provide a system for planning training based on my own personal methodology: the one I developed just before I took charge of Francesco Moser’s training for the world hour record (Mexico City, 1984) and then gradually perfected over later years, particularly from 1996-2002, as head trainer of Mapei Group’s team of professional cyclists.

Two things:
1. Interesting, Sassi saying he took charge of Moser's training in 1984.
Elsewhere I read he was only part of Moser's backroom staff.

Professor Francesco Conconi was Moser’s trainer, while Sassi was part of his backroom team, along with Dr. Michele Ferrari. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sassi-says-he-can-guarantee-his-riders-are-clean/

2. I was ignorant on the fact that he was actually head trainer of Mapei from 96 to 2002.
Those weren't exactly clean years for Mapei.

Mapei was one of the strongest teams during the late 1990s, and ranked as the strongest UCI team in 1994-2000 and 2002. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapei_(cycling_team)

Things look worse than I thought for Sassi.
(Also note that, unlike in the interviews, on that website Sassi says nothing about clean cycling. It wouldn't surprise me if he only started talking about clean cycling in the mid-naughties, when it was en vogue to talk about new generation, new culture, etc.)

As for the Mapei Training Centre, I didn't know Max Testa was at the head of it for some years.

Back in 2001, I was lucky enough to meet Max Testa. Testa was the head of the Mapei Performance Training Center in Italy for many years..
http://www.gamjams.net/2011/05/the-flagellation-files-sfr.html

mind, though, that "many years" seems to be just two years:

1999-2000 Sports Medicine Physician at Mapei Sports Medicine Center,
http://www.vespapower.com/massimo-max-testa/

For those who don't know, Testa had a hand in the blood doping at Motorola and had previously helped Andy Hampsten win the Giro in 1988.

On a side, I didn't know Testa and Sassi go way back.

In 1983, famed cycling coaches Aldo Sassi and Massimo Testa were looking for an on-the-bike strength training routine that was primarily an aerobic exercise. They came up with SFR, which in Italian stands for Salite-Forza-Resistenza, but most coaches refer to it as Slow Frequency Repetitions. The goal of an SFR workout is to increase muscular strength and efficiency in the pedal stroke.
http://www.gamjams.net/2011/05/the-flagellation-files-sfr.html

Disclaimer: not posting the above as evidence of wrongdoing.

Regardless, imo one has to take too many odd leaps of faith to believe Sassi was an antidoping doc.
In that respect it is interesting that Cecchini has also been promoted as a clean doc by the likes of Dekker and Millar. Between Ferrari, Sassi, Cecchini, Conconi and Testa, what are the odds that only Cecchini and Sassi worked clean? And Cecchini clean, lol. So was it just Sassi? Against all odds.

 

[Neworld]

Re:

From Sassi's Mapei Sport Cycling Training website:
http://mct.mapeisport.it/ChiSiamo.asp

I decided to create Mapei Sport Cycling Trainer when my commitments first to training and then managing the MAPEI professional cycling team did not allow me enough time to keep on personally assisting all the keen cyclists interested in training based on my customised training schedules.

So, with the help of all the staff at MAPEI Sport Service, we developed this software project - which we were then able to put on-line in partnership with Lexicon - devised to provide a system for planning training based on my own personal methodology: the one I developed just before I took charge of Francesco Moser’s training for the world hour record (Mexico City, 1984) and then gradually perfected over later years, particularly from 1996-2002, as head trainer of Mapei Group’s team of professional cyclists.

Two things:
1. Interesting, Sassi saying he took charge of Moser's training in 1984.
Elsewhere I read he was only part of Moser's backroom staff.

Professor Francesco Conconi was Moser’s trainer, while Sassi was part of his backroom team, along with Dr. Michele Ferrari. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sassi-says-he-can-guarantee-his-riders-are-clean/

2. I was ignorant on the fact that he was actually head trainer of Mapei from 96 to 2002.
Those weren't exactly clean years for Mapei.

Mapei was one of the strongest teams during the late 1990s, and ranked as the strongest UCI team in 1994-2000 and 2002. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapei_(cycling_team)

Things look worse than I thought for Sassi.
(Also note that, unlike in the interviews, on that website Sassi says nothing about clean cycling. It wouldn't surprise me if he only started talking about clean cycling in the mid-naughties, when it was en vogue to talk about new generation, new culture, etc.)

As for the Mapei Training Centre, I didn't know Max Testa was at the head of it for some years.

Back in 2001, I was lucky enough to meet Max Testa. Testa was the head of the Mapei Performance Training Center in Italy for many years..
http://www.gamjams.net/2011/05/the-flagellation-files-sfr.html

mind, though, that "many years" seems to be just two years:

1999-2000 Sports Medicine Physician at Mapei Sports Medicine Center,
http://www.vespapower.com/massimo-max-testa/

For those who don't know, Testa had a hand in the blood doping at Motorola and had previously helped Andy Hampsten win the Giro in 1988.

I also didn't know Testa and Sassi go way back.

In 1983, famed cycling coaches Aldo Sassi and Massimo Testa were looking for an on-the-bike strength training routine that was primarily an aerobic exercise. They came up with SFR, which in Italian stands for Salite-Forza-Resistenza, but most coaches refer to it as Slow Frequency Repetitions. The goal of an SFR workout is to increase muscular strength and efficiency in the pedal stroke.
http://www.gamjams.net/2011/05/the-flagellation-files-sfr.html

Disclaimer: not posting the above as evidence of wrongdoing.

Regardless, imo one has to take too many odd leaps of faith to believe Sassi was an antidoping doc.
In that respect it is interesting that Cecchini has also been promoted as a clean doc by the likes of Dekker and Millar. Between Ferrari, Sassi, Cecchini, Conconi and Testa, what are the odds that only Cecchini and Sassi worked clean? And Cecchini clean, lol. So was it just Sassi? Against all odds.

Great points.
And, as much as I like to watch Jan U, Cecchini was his coach. Cecchini is well known to dope cyclists.
highly unlikely that Sassi is the Angel some people think his was.

 

[Tienus]

Dekker was called Clasicomano Luigi because his trainer was Luigi Cecchini. Both Ullrich and Dekker where managed by Hanegraaf who, according to Dekker, introduced him to Fuentes.

 

[sniper]

As people were asking for a scandal:

Documents have surfaced in Italy which offer proof of systematic doping by the defunct Italian Team Mapei, according to German television station ARD. During the 2001 season riders where systematically taking drugs such as EPO, testosterone, anabolic steroids, and also most likely synthetic insulin, the documents allegedly reveal.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/proof-of-systematic-doping-at-mapei/

Also, in 2002 Mapei's Stefano Garzelli tested positive whilst wearing the maglia rosa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/1995010.stm

Remember, Sassi was head coach of Mapei between 1996 and 2002, which is when Mapei decided to stop as a team sponsor mainly because of the above two doping scandals.

 

[Neworld]

Re:

As people were asking for a scandal:

Documents have surfaced in Italy which offer proof of systematic doping by the defunct Italian Team Mapei, according to German television station ARD. During the 2001 season riders where systematically taking drugs such as EPO, testosterone, anabolic steroids, and also most likely synthetic insulin, the documents allegedly reveal.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/proof-of-systematic-doping-at-mapei/

Also, in 2002 Mapei's Stefano Garzelli tested positive whilst wearing the maglia rosa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/1995010.stm

Remember, Sassi was head coach of Mapei between 1996 and 2002, which is when Mapei decided to step out mainly because of the above two doping scandals.

I don't 'believe' it, no way. Italian managers and physicians have always been above board and clean.

 

[sniper]

Re: Re:

...
I don't 'believe' it, no way. Italian managers and physicians have always been above board and clean.

Probably just sour grapes from ARD.

I love how Squinzi trivializes the ARD allegations here whilst shifting blame away from him and Sassi.
Even manages to give himself and Sassi plaudits for cleaning up the place:

“We did all we could do, while conditioned by the conduct of certain athletes and the International Cycling Union [UCI],” he said. “Then, however, our success made things intolerable. First, the mysterious positive of our Stefano Garzelli in 2002 [where he tested positive for a trace amount of Probenicid while in the leader’s jersey of the Giro d’Italia]. Then our unheeded complaint that in Spain, since 2001, they were doing strange things.
...
After what the centre has achieved over the years, Squinzi is proud of what he and Sassi have created. “Because our struggle for a clean cycling is proving to be the only way to salvation and success, credibility and rebirth,” he explained.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/6740/Giorgio-Squinzi-remembers-Aldo-Sassi-clean-cycling-and-winning.aspx#ixzz4Svefw9BU

 

[ScienceIsCool]

Re:

As people were asking for a scandal:

Documents have surfaced in Italy which offer proof of systematic doping by the defunct Italian Team Mapei, according to German television station ARD. During the 2001 season riders where systematically taking drugs such as EPO, testosterone, anabolic steroids, and also most likely synthetic insulin, the documents allegedly reveal.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/proof-of-systematic-doping-at-mapei/

Also, in 2002 Mapei's Stefano Garzelli tested positive whilst wearing the maglia rosa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/1995010.stm

Remember, Sassi was head coach of Mapei between 1996 and 2002, which is when Mapei decided to stop as a team sponsor mainly because of the above two doping scandals.

As always, context is everything.

Squinzi says: “Slowly, we stayed in touch,” he said. “Until the end of 1996, when I cleared out the Mapei athletes who were prepared by [notorious doctor] Michele Ferrari: [Tomy] Rominger, [Abraham] Olano and [Gianluca] Bortolami, I entrusted the preparation of the athletes and the direction of the research center to Sassi. We all believed that it was possible to not only ride cycling, but to be clean and successful.”
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/6740/Giorgio-Squinzi-remembers-Aldo-Sassi-clean-cycling-and-winning.aspx#ixzz4Svhbfbnb

So why was Sassi hired at the end of 1996? Squinzi had enough and sacked everyone working with Ferrari.

It would make no sense that someone tolerant of doping on their team would fire everyone associated with the most successful doping doctor in the world. He gave up his best riders and best results in order to get clean. Why, then, would he hire a dirty coach?

Of course, we all know that Mapei was still dirty which is why Squinzi pulled the plug in 2002. It just doesn't make any sense that Sassi was the one doing the doping.

John Swanson

 

[sniper]

What doesn't make sense is the assumption that people trying to reach the top of procycling would be looking for the services of a clean coach.

 

[sniper]

I mean I am perfectly comfortable with the thought that Sassi wasn't a proactive enabler or PED administrator, but rather the "avoid scandal" type of guy. Fly below the radar at all costs (although that plan obviously failed in 2002).
But the same can be said about most Italian cycling docs. They're all aware of the need to maintain plausible deniablilty. To my knowledge (and do correct me if wrong), Ferrari never administered dope either (although yes he recommended and prescribed it).
They use to have muppets of the likes of Fuentes for that purpose.

Either way, the claim that Sassi was some kind of "antidoping" pioneer, as far as I can tell, is based solely on the statements of people with an obvious interest in stating it. Such as our friend Squinzi.
It's not based on any kind of fact or evidence, from what I can tell.

The Sassi vs. Ferarri anecdote is interesting, but that could have all sorts of explanations in the context of their professional rivalry.