Pellizotti finds new home in bad neighborhood.

//Pellizotti finds new home in bad neighborhood.

Pellizotti finds new home in bad neighborhood.

 

Foolish Franco.

 

What — there wasn’t an open spot at Miche?

Was anybody too terribly surprised to see that doper Franco Pellizotti found a home at Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela? Welcome back Franco, hey, the blood bags are the fridge, needles in the drawer in the entertainment center.

While the Italian climber has said to be in talks with Acqua e Sapone, Movistar and Lampre-ISD, Pellizotti signed with the team of Gianni Savio. Sort of like getting out of jail in the morning and heading to the mob boss’ house for lunch.

“I received some offers but I chose the team which will be an ideal environment to be in,” Pellizotti said on Twitter. There’s just too much irony in that statement. Ideal environment?

Is it just crazy coincidence that dopers Davide Rebellin, Michele Scarponi, Francesco de Bonis, Giuseppe Muraglia, Danilo Hondo and Luca De Angeli were all riding for Savio when they were caught cheating? In fact, De Angeli claimed Savio supplied him with the EPO — a charge later dismissed by a judge.

Is this a good place for Pellizotti to resume his racing career? The Italian Olympic Committee had requested a four year ban for Savio. In the murky, slow moving waters of Italian justice it’s hard to tell if that investigation went away for not. VeloNation tried to get confirmation from CONI in December of 2011 but so far, no response.

At this point, is a final verdict even needed? Just on the impressive amount of circumstantial evidence, it’s clear that Savio’s stance on doping is at best lax and disinterested. Humorous, telling side note: Savio’s team spends just a half day on anti-doping at the team training camp. Somewhere Jonathan Vaughters is shaking his head.

And by the way, Twisted Spoke is also disappointed that Pellizotti has no sense of drama like Danilo Di Luca. Where is the priest confessor, the church filled with school children, the promise to make the little ones proud? The man can’t even put together a decent backstory.

Franco Pellizotti is back from suspension but already his first decision is not one that inspires confidence.

 

By |2019-02-03T16:09:23-08:00May 1st, 2012|Uncategorized|3 Comments

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3 Comments

  1. David May 1, 2012 at 4:26 pm - Reply

    Agree totally, although cycling is full of hypocracy and Savio’s team is not the only one to welcome dopers back with open arms.  Lampre, Movistar, Liquigas etc.

    I thought Hondo was at Gerolsteiner when he originally tested positive.

  2. Fritz May 16, 2012 at 3:22 am - Reply

    Hey, where do you get your facts? Rebbeline wasn´t riding for Androni when he got caught, Scarponi wasn´t riding for Androni wither (But they have rode for the Androni Team, Rebeline before and Scarponi after) It seems to be that you doesn´t like the Androni team and Gianni Savio, but please don´t fabricate Truths when there is just lies and wrongs. There is only ONE rider who got caught still riding for the Androniteam since Gianni started his first Team (18 years(, try to find a Teammanager who has that record!

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