Leonardo Piepoli

Leonardo Piepoli (born 29 September 1971) is a former Italian professional road racing cyclist. He most recently rode for on the UCI ProTour, but had his contract suspended in July 2008 during the Tour de France amid allegations of the use of the blood boosting drug EPO in the team. He was later suspended for two years, which effectively ended his career.

Career He is a record four-time winner (1995, 1999, 2003, 2004) of the Subida a Urkiola. Piepoli is a specialist climber, and this was shown in the 2006 Giro d'Italia, where he was one of the strongest riders in the mountains and won two stages. In the 2007 Giro d'Italia, Piepoli won the mountains classification. He has won stages in the Giro and the Vuelta a España. He also made himself famous by 'gifting' two stage victories to his team-mates Gilberto Simoni and Riccardo Riccò. During the Vuelta, Piepoli lead the mountains classification, but was forced to leave the race, citing 'family problems'

During the 2008 Giro d'Italia Piepoli crashed two times, leaving the race with three broken ribs and with his left hand fractured in two places.

In the 2008 Tour de France, Piepoli won the 10th stage, a mountain stage that climbed the legendary Hautacam, and also helped his team-mate Riccardo Riccò win two stages. Before the twelfth stage, Piepoli and the rest of his team stepped out of the race, after Riccò had tested positive for doping.

Doping allegations Piepoli was fired from Saunier Duval on 18 July 2008, for what his team called "violation of the team's ethical code." The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that Piepoli had confessed to EPO usage, using the same third generation form (CERA) for which his teammate Riccardo Riccò tested positive, but he denied this at the Italian National Olympic Committee's investigation into Riccò's case. On 6 October 2008, it was announced that two of Piepoli's samples from the Tour de France had also tested positive for CERA EPO. In a 7 January 2009 interview with the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Piepoli acknowledged that he had used CERA in "a moment of weakness". In January 2009, he was suspended from the sport for two years.

Major results

1993 9th Giro del Belvedere 1994

1995 1st Subida a Urkiola 1st Trofeo dello Scalatore 2nd Giro del Lazio 6th Clásica de San Sebastián 6th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore 7th Overall Tour de Suisse

7th Coppa Agostoni 1996 1st Stage 4 Giro del Trentino 8th Tour de Berne 1997 3rd Overall Giro del Trentino 3rd Trofeo dello Scalatore 5th Giro di Toscana 1998 1st Trofeo dello Scalatore 2nd Overall Vuelta a Burgos 1st Stage 4 3rd Clásica de San Sebastián 4th Overall Tour de Suisse 4th Overall Vuelta a Aragón 5th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore 9th Giro dell'Appennino 1999

1st Stage 2 1st Subida a Urkiola 3rd Overall Vuelta a Aragón 4th Overall Vuelta a Burgos 1st Stage 4 8th Overall Vuelta a España 8th Overall Tour de Romandie 2000

1st Stage 3

1st Stage 2 1st Stage 2 Critérium International 2nd Subida a Urkiola 3rd Overall Volta a Catalunya 6th Overall Volta a Comunidade Galega 10th Overall Giro d'Italia 2001 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino 9th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 9th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme 10th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 2002

1st Stage 4

1st Stage 1 3rd Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León 6th Overall Volta a Catalunya 9th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme 2003

1st Stage 1 1st Subida a Urkiola 1st Subida al Naranco 4th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme 7th Overall Euskal Bizikleta 9th Overall Clásica Internacional de Alcobendas 2004 1st Subida a Urkiola 1st Stage 9 Vuelta a España 3rd Overall Tour de Romandie 3rd Overall Vuelta a Burgos 3rd Overall Vuelta a Aragón 3rd Subida al Naranco 4th Overall Vuelta a Asturias 4th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 10th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme 10th Overall Euskal Bizikleta 2005 2nd Overall Volta a Catalunya 1st Stage 4 10th Overall Tour de Suisse 2006 Giro d'Italia 1st Stage 13 & 17 8th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 2007 Giro d'Italia

1st Stage 10 1st Stage 9 Vuelta a España 2008 1st Stage 10 Tour de France

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish