Riccardo Riccò

Riccardo Riccò
Riccò in 2011
Personal information
Full nameRiccardo Riccò
NicknameThe Cobra
Born (1983-09-01) 1 September 1983
Formigine, Italy
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight59 kg (130 lb)
Team information
Current teamSuspended
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClimber
Professional teams
2006–2008Saunier Duval–Prodir
2010Ceramica Flaminia
2010–2011Vacansoleil
2011–2012Meridiana–Kamen
Major wins
Grand Tours
Giro d'Italia
Young rider classification (2008)
3 individual stages (2007, 2008)

Riccardo Riccò (born 1 September 1983) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, who was suspended from all competition until 2024. He was previously ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended. Riccò returned to competition in late 2010, but in February 2011 he was fired by his team, Vacansoleil–DCM, after he became seriously ill allegedly through a self-administered autologous blood transfusion. He then signed to UCI Continental team Meridiana–Kamen.

On 19 April 2012 it was announced that he had been suspended for 12 years, effectively ending his career.