CONI sets hearings for Ricco, Piepoli.

ROME (AP)—Cyclists Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli are to appear before the Italian Olympic Committee next week to answer questions about their links to doping at the Tour de France.

Ricco won two stages before he was expelled from the Tour last week after testing positive for the blood-booster EPO. Both Ricco and Piepoli were fired by Saunier Duval, with Piepoli let go for “violation of the team’s ethical code.”

Piepoli’s hearing before CONI’s anti-doping prosecutor was scheduled for Tuesday, with Ricco’s appointment with prosecutor Ettore Torri slated for next Wednesday.

Saunier Duval’s main sponsor, Vaillant, a German manufacturer of heating systems, said Wednesday that its Spanish subsidiary was withdrawing its sponsorship as a result of “current events.”

Spanish media have reported that Piepoli admitted to his team that he took the same form of EPO as Ricco, and CONI said it planned to ask Piepoli about the reports.

(yahoosports.com)