Alessandro Fantin (GS 65 VINAL) finished 8th place at the amateur Criterium Portogruarese race in Vento, Italy, but didn’t stick around for the awards ceremony – or to talk to police.
Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta reported Fantin jumped in a car and fled the scene after being accused by other riders and the promoter of using a rigged bike with hidden motor – aka motor doping.
“Fantin and another [rider] were kept an eye on for a long time because they were accused of using the rigged bike,” promoter Lorenzo De Luca told La Gazzetta . “You could see that there was a button on the handlebar.”
At the end of the race, De Luca asked to check Fantin’s bike, but Fantin refused, jumping in a car and racing away before police arrived.
The incident is still under investigation.
GRAN FONDO DAILY NEWS 