On Friday the Italian Anti Doping Organization (NADO) provisionally suspended 50+ year old amateur bike racer and cycling coach Armando Sevieri (ASD Cycling Team Zerosei) after he tested positive for Recombinant Erythropoietin (EPO) in a check carried out by NADO.

His team immediately issued the following statement:

“We have recently learned of the positivity (recombinant erythropoietin) to an anti-doping control by Armando Sevieri. As a management team and its teammates from the Asd Cycling team Zerosei we distance ourselves from what happened. The use of doping substances, as well as ethically incorrect, is the furthest way from our spirit. The Zerosei is in fact based on principles of friendship, sharing, inclusion, healthy living and fun through cycling. Competitive results, even more so if obtained by cheating and/or by unlawful means, do not interest us and do not belong to us. We therefore want to emphasize the distance from Sevieri whose behavior, if confirmed, causes image damage to society and to all of us. Damage for which we reserve the right to take legal action.”

Sevieri is an active masters age amateur racer in both Italian gran fondo and licensed events. Last weekend, he finished second in his age category at the Prato-Doganaccia FCI licensed race. In October 2021 he finished 25th at the GFNY Italia gran fondo, winning his age group category with a time of 3:18:16, 19 minutes behind the overall winner, for the 101 kilometer race with 1886 meters climbing.

EPO is a banned performance enhancing drug used by endurance athletes.  It is a peptide hormone that significantly increases red blood cell production, improves the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry to the body’s muscles and raises VO2 max.

NADO has yet to schedule a hearing for Sevieri, where he can present his case and await a verdict by the Italian Anti Doping Court of innocence or guilt.

Photos: langolodelpirato.it